


Thicker than Water

by ladymacbethsspot



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Blood Drinking, Blood Magic, Explicit Sexual Content, Getting Together, Human/Vampire Relationship, M/M, Mage!Erwin, Mages, Mild Blood, New England, Vampires, good thing there are so many tags for blood guys, soft blood play, vampire!levi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-21
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:47:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 49,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23250445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladymacbethsspot/pseuds/ladymacbethsspot
Summary: Erwin has just moved to a sleepy little town in coastal New England. Levi, however, has been living there for a very long time.
Relationships: Levi/Erwin Smith
Comments: 328
Kudos: 454





	1. Cold Moon

**Author's Note:**

> Partially inspired by the general concept of Vampire!Levi and Mage!Erwin. Some pining, some depression, and watch out later for some soft blood play that will be warned about in the chapter notes.

They say vampires don’t feel the cold.

But whoever ‘they’ were- Levi knew they were wrong. Dead wrong.

They were especially wrong today, when Levi walked out the front door of his home only to be hit squarely in the face by a gust of clammy, fish-scented air that sent him straight back inside. He emerged five minutes later in an old woolen coat, mumbling about the unwelcome change of seasons and something indistinct about a lousy tide. Sure, the leaves were cheerful yellows and tints of orange. True, the crisp edge to the air hadn’t yet given way to bleak rains and howling winds. Strictly, in all fairness, the shortening day length was something Levi actually found quite welcome. But all the pretty trappings of autumn did was serve as cover for cold to steal closer in the days and nights, and from that there was no escape.

Levi walked quickly to his car, keeping under the long shadow the big ash tree spread over short-cropped grass. The ground felt firm under his step, another sign of the coming winter. He unlocked the door and slid into his car, putting the heavy bag of tools he’d scrounged out of the basement down on the passenger seat. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he took one final look at it to make sure he had the correct address.

Atlantic Road. Levi snorted. Mr. Smith was either very rich or very lucky, and Levi wasn’t sure which one was worse. It didn’t really matter, not when the request had been an interesting one. He was tired of swapping out generic locks on slum-lord apartments and getting stupid teenagers back into their cars at 3 am. Besides, it was weekend work, and Levi could charge double for that. He turned the key in the car’s ignition and rolled down the driveway, turning towards downtown.

It was a short drive, through narrow streets, houses pressing close to the sidewalks. The sun setting behind him, Levi tried to avoid its reflected glare in his rear-view mirrors. It wasn’t easy to drive fast through the town. There were too many stop signs, too many cars parked halfway onto the curb, too many twists and dog-leg crooks in the road that made it difficult to see oncoming cars. But Levi managed it anyway, barreling down the narrow lanes, passing a hair’s breadth by a stopped delivery truck, and swerving around the corner at the last second with no turn signal. Zipping through a light just as it was about to turn red earned him an extended blast on the horn that Levi dismissed with his middle finger raised.

“Fuck you very much, too,” he quipped, but the slight upward quirk at the edge of his lips said otherwise. It didn’t matter. He couldn’t die, so he might as well live it up. Levi sped down the road as the houses thinned, the meager mile of dense town turning to larger plots and an even larger hill. When he’d crested the top, even the trees had become sparse, and as he raced around a familiar turn he took a moment to enjoy the scenery. The land ended to his left- crushed into a rubble of dark water-stained boulders. Low beach plum bushes lined the road, clinging to the only strip of sandy soil separating it from the rocks. Falling over each other, rising out of the water in humps of black, big and small jumbled and heaped at the edge of the world, the boulders meant there were no houses off the ocean side of the road. There was nothing to obstruct the view. Only wild coastline, white peaks of spray, and the ever-present shushing of waves breaking below.

Riding around the turns, not a single car in sight, the setting sun shining white on the twin lighthouses just past the cape, Levi could almost imagine he was alone. He could almost see the land the way it had been long ago. The way he remembered it. There was still some of that flavor left, of the untamed and primitive, a place of rocks and sky and wind. But it was impossible to imagine for long, especially when he passed the Greco-Italianate monstrosity of a villa to the right. Thankfully the tacky eyesore wasn’t the address Mr. Smith had given, and Levi drove on.

The blight of the overwrought house had put him in a more dour mood, and Levi only realized he was driving too fast even for him when he almost missed the turn. His tires screeched, losing grip for a moment as they slid on crumbling asphalt before whipping him around the turn and onto an unpaved road. Gravel crunched under his wheels as he drove away from the sea, an overgrown thicket of bush and small trees obstructing any view of the house he approached. When it loomed up, two and a half stories of heavy stone and slate, Levi wasn’t ready for it. The driveway branched, a wider path turning towards overgrown hedges and what Levi knew would be the front of the house while the other path continued straight back. He kept driving straight. He’d known the address would be fancy, the street name alone had told him that, but the distinguished mansion was older and more stately than he’d been prepared for. This wasn’t just money. This had taste, and some amount of age, and Levi had a healthy respect for both of those things.

“Interesting,” he admitted to himself, bag of tools in-hand, as he got out of the car and approached the entry. The mansion needed a little work. Nothing major, its old bones were built to be solid and there wasn’t anything obviously falling apart. But he could see gaps where a slate shingle or two had fallen from the roof, and the mortar in the stonework was powdery and brittle at its edges. The manor’s grounds had made it seem far worse. The unmanaged bushes and hedges he’d driven by were in just as sorry a state as the rest of the unkempt landscaping. Old leaves littered the drive, the grass had gone to seed long ago, and the occasional tuft of unruly weeds sticking almost a foot up above the rest of it all in the yard made the place look a little abandoned. The longer driveway had brought him around to the side of the house, as some estates did, and he knew what he was seeing was only the modest end of the property, rather than the grand entry and formal garden that had likely been designed at the front. They might even still be there. That is, if Mr. Smith was both rich _and_ lucky. Levi rang the bell, wondering more and more at what kind of man would own a house like this, all the way out here, and would also call him with such a specific request. 

“Hello?” The door opened, answering Levi’s question immediately.

A hot man, as it turned out.

Levi stared for a second, looking up and up to take in the man filling the doorway before him. Tall, very blonde, muscular and handsome in a way even worn-in moccasins, green plaid pajama bottoms, and a plain v-neck undershirt couldn’t hide, the stranger was far more impressive than the house.

“Are you Mr. Smith?” Levi asked, wondering how it was humanly possible to look so good in clothing he himself would never even consider leaving the house in.

“Yes,” the man replied in a deep baritone that made Levi even more confused.

“Ackerman,” Levi stated, thrusting his free hand out, adding, “from Ackerman Lockworks. You called.” Mr. Smith reached out, giving his hand a firm shake almost automatically, his face still blank, before he registered a flash of recognition.

“Ah, yes. That’s right. I guess I hadn’t realized you’d actually come tonight.”

“You said 6:30. It’s 6:30.”

“No, I know. I mean you, personally. You must be the owner. Ackerman,” the man clarified.

“It’s a small business,” Levi replied, unfazed.

“So I see.” Mr. Smith accepted the answer with a note of thoughtfulness. He then turned, walking into the house. For a moment Levi watched him go, staring a little more than he should at where the undershirt tugged around the man’s shoulders and biceps. His eyes traveled down, over a wide back, only to pause again at the curve of the man’s ass. Even through baggy pajamas he had no trouble admiring its shape, and Levi wondered briefly if the man was even wearing anything underneath. Reminding himself that he was here for business, he frowned, consciously turning his attention down to the door-frame.

This was potentially more of a problem than Mr. Smith’s unexpected attractiveness. The toes of his leather shoes just touched the edge of slightly raised granite. He could feel it, pressing on his soles, a hard line. He had not yet crossed the threshold. The door was open. Mr. Smith had opened it for him. His presence and purpose had been acknowledged. But still, it wasn’t quite as much as Levi was comfortable with, and he stood still.

“Come in, the chest I called about is upstairs,” the man called over his shoulder, motioning with a nod of his head. The invitation released Levi from his indecision, the line breaking, as a sigh brought him through the doorway and into the stranger’s home. Hurrying a few steps to catch up with the man’s longer stride, he followed. There wasn’t much time to take in the home’s atmosphere, but the few glances Levi managed told him more than enough. They also explained the condition of the yard. The place was almost completely empty. Almost unsettling, in fact. They’d come in the side, crossed through a kitchen totally devoid of cooking utensils or appliances, and passed by an equally barren butler’s pantry before the reason for the lack of furnishings was revealed. As they walked down the hall, the space opening into a foyer, piles and piles of cardboard boxes came into view. The manor was completely empty because Mr. Smith had not lived here long; he had just moved in.

Levi tried not to stare at the precariously stacked boxes, his fingers almost itching with the urge to straighten them. He pointedly ignored another pile, their tops all flapping open, miscellaneous contents strewed about. Clothing, and books, and a glass 20-gallon aquarium were the only items he could identify at first glance. The chaos of it all made his skin crawl, and there was no relief from it anywhere he looked. There weren’t even any signs of labels or marks on the boxes’ exteriors and their size and shape ranged all the way from absurdly tiny gift box, up through wine case, and ending at nearly refrigerator-sized. The mess was palpable, pressing in from the corners, shrinking the foyer until there were only narrow footpaths, and Levi almost breathed a sigh of relief when they mounted the grand staircase.

It elevated them above ground zero of Mr. Smith’s in-progress battle with unpacking. On the second floor they passed a single room that Levi didn’t even dare to look inside before coming to their destination. The man waved him into a generously-sized, if almost empty, study, and pointed to a large sea chest at its center.

“There it is. Picked it up a few days ago. You know how it is,” Mr. Smith admitted with a charming hint of bashfulness. Levi looked at him. The way he said it was so genuine, like he was telling a little secret, the innocent kind that brings people closer. It made Levi badly _want_ to know how it was, even against his better judgement. “There are so many antique places around here,” the man continued, “and I’m a bit of a history buff, so I couldn’t exactly pass it up.”

“Sure, I know how it is,” Levi lied. The man seemed to relax, and the gratefulness in his features over Levi understanding a sin so inconsequential as being a rich man buying an antique was somehow even more endearing. It was almost more than Levi could stand, this friendly stranger in his too-casual clothes, with his easy trust, and his surprisingly blue eyes. Levi was staring again. And the faint outline of a bulge he could almost see even through the lines of the plaid made him pretty certain- Smith was definitely not wearing underwear under those pajamas. Levi swallowed, a flash of arousal jolting him from his increasingly inappropriate thoughts.

He frowned, his usual defense mechanism for inconvenient interactions, and made his way over to the chest. If he walked a little more stiffly than before, well hopefully Mr. Smith wouldn’t notice. In front of the large chest he stopped. Leaning over to inspect the wood, he ran a finger over flaking green paint. It looked a little shabby, shriveled and cracking away from the wood, showing its age. It would have been handsome, if utilitarian, somewhere around the turn of the century. The nineteenth century, that was. Still, it stood like a rock, and the wood beneath the paint was solid, speaking well of its construction.

Levi knelt in front of the chest, inspecting its lock. This was what he’d been called for, and seeing it up close he felt a glimmer of excitement. It had been a long time since he’d worked on a lock like this. He ran a finger over the iron, appreciating its smooth surface. It was bound to be simple, Levi knew, rather primitive when it came to mechanisms. It wouldn’t necessarily be difficult to open, but that didn’t bother him. That wasn’t the point. The point was that this lock was old. It had been made at a time when each lock was unique, when each lock was crafted by hand, and when each lock held its own small puzzle to be appreciated.

“I didn’t even try to open it once I realized it was locked. Figured I’d leave that to a professional,” Mr. Smith commented, his voice close. He had come up behind to watch.

Levi nodded. He placed his bag of tools on the ground and opened it, fishing out a can of WD-40 and fitting the thin nozzle into its front before giving the keyhole a close spray. “Good,” he muttered, searching through his bag before settling on a tool with a particularly windy point that otherwise resembled an old-fashioned key. He picked a second tool, one with a simple right-angle bend that slid easily into the bottom of the keyhole. Keeping a steady hand he guided the corkscrew-like first tool in as well, probing gently inside the mechanism. Mr. Smith kept quiet, his presence fading from Levi’s attention as he worked.

Levi focused, manipulating the tools carefully. A slight metallic scraping and the odd clink were the only thing to break the silence as he inspected the lock. A few more angles and calculated applications of force were all it took before Levi knew the sum of the lock, and though it was turning out to be more simple than he would have hoped, it still had one trick he appreciated from a professional perspective.

Setting to work in earnest, Levi swapped out the corkscrew tool for something more suited, a flat-ended piece with a small upturned hook. He jiggled it into the lock’s opening, applied pressure with the other tool, and threaded it carefully. Twisting and pressing, he eased it underneath an internal barrier, his brow furrowing as he worked by feel. It was a tight fit, but Levi kept the pressure steady, guiding the flat tool through the narrow space before he felt the resistance just barely change. Knowing the tool’s end could move freely now, he gave it a little twirl, and a gentle tug. There was a faint sound of metal on metal as it scraped inside, age and rust making it grind into place before it caught on the spring-loaded bar he’d been looking for. All it took was a second tug and a flick of his wrist, and a satisfying click sounded from the lock. “Gotcha,” Levi said, the volume of his voice loud in the room’s silence.

“You opened it?” Mr. Smith asked, his voice coming from immediately above, surprising Levi enough that he stood and turned -

Only to find his face directly in the middle of the man’s sternum. The cotton undershirt mere inches from Levi’s nose, he could easily see the shape of defined pectoral muscles beneath it. That, and the blonde hair curling out of the top of his collar, likely also spread generously over the chest he was standing far too close to. Levi stumbled, the back of his legs hitting solid wood before he sidestepped, shuffling out of the way. “Uh… yeah,” Levi said. “It’s open. I opened it.” Still recovering from the momentary shock, he forced his mouth to close as he steadied his breath and ignored the arousal that had come flooding back.

Mr. Smith, however, seemed unaffected. Barely contained excitement was written across his handsome features, the almost-boyish look softening them. He leaned over the sea chest, gripping the sides of the lid, and pulled it up.

They both peered inside.

A bit musty, a long, shallow wooden box lay inside, perched on slim side rails. The man hooked a finger under its lid, revealing rows and rows of glass bottles with glass stoppers, yellowed labels and looping handwriting marking them.

Levi knew immediately what they were: medical supplies. It seemed that Mr. Smith knew as well when his deep voice rumbled in delight.

“Look at this. There are so many still intact. What a collection! It’s a nearly complete kit. We must be the first people to set eyes on these bottles in- oh, two hundred years?”

Levi nodded. Only a couple of the bottles were cracked, and many were either full or close to it. This ship’s medicine chest hadn’t seen much service. It was a rare find.

“I wonder if the rest is here,” Mr. Smith mused, slowly lifting the box of bottles out of the chest. “Looks like it,” he commented, placing the long box to the side on the floor, as Levi glanced at the second layer of compartments he’d revealed. These were quickly opened, revealing a set of knives, scalpels, and other sharp tools meant for cutting. Tweezers, primitive forceps, and all manner of surgical items were neatly packed and ordered, the only hint to their age the dull oxidized layer covering them. “I bet these would shine right up, probably still sharp, even,” Mr. Smith breathed, awed over the variety. He pored over them, fingers tracing wood handles and metal implements, before gently lifting them from the chest.

Levi watched, content to fall back towards the wall’s shadow, as the man who had hired him unpacked the rest of the chest. His enthusiasm was genuine, each compartment lovingly opened and its contents individually appreciated. Some elicited comments of surprise, like the collection of different sized vials and jars, while others were dwelt on for only a moment before moving on to the next thing. Though Levi had seen many sea chests of all kinds and sizes in his life, containing all manner of things, he was certain he’d never seen one that clearly brought its owner so much joy. Seeing Mr. Smith discover each item as he got closer to the chest’s bottom was like watching a child open gifts on Christmas.

A messy child, Levi noted with a wrinkle of his nose. The musk of the chest’s interior was starting to tickle his nostrils, and the medical supplies were strewn over the floor in a growing half-circle ringing where Mr. Smith knelt. As amusing as it was to live vicariously through this stranger, he’d already finished the job he’d been hired for and he began to feel like he was intruding. It was time to go, he thought to himself as he gathered up his tools and put them back into his bag. There was just one more thing he’d need to take care of - but Mr. Smith was fully engrossed, flipping through a ratty old log book, his perfect nose barely inches from the weathered pages. Levi crossed his arms, wondering if he should say something to interrupt. Instead he cleared his throat.

“Ah,” Mr. Smith paused, turning towards him. “I’ve gotten distracted. It was more than I’d hoped for, and almost everything is here. There are even some things here I’ve never seen before and the account book is…” the man cut himself off, as though he hadn’t meant to ramble. “What do I owe you, Mr. Ackerman? I can write you a check. I’ve got one right here.” He fumbled in the right pocket of his pajama pants, then the left, making it very difficult for Levi not to stare at his crotch. Finally, he pulled out a folded rectangle of paper and smoothed it open. “I guess I don’t have a pen though,” he admitted, offering the check with a shrug.

“Fucking… blond,” Levi whispered under his breath, reaching into his bag and pulling out a pen. “Here,” he offered it to the man. “You owe me two hundred and eighty bucks. Make it out to Ackerman Lockworks.”

“Two hundred… and… eighty…,” Mr. Smith repeated slowly, printing the letters as he hunched over, writing the check against a massive thigh. “Not bad, thought it would be more for the weekend night,” He concluded, handing both check and pen back.

“Yeah, well, not like I’ve got much else going on,” Levi said. The man’s pleasant expression didn’t waver, and Levi wondered if he’d even heard at all. “I’ll leave you to it, then. I can find my own way out,” he offered, turning.

“Oh, no, I’ll see you out,” the man insisted, but then waved Levi on to walk ahead anyway. It was a little bizarre, walking back out of the room and down the hall, taking his steps down the stairs, all with Mr. Smith trailing behind. The man followed closely, and Levi quickened his steps, only to find Mr. Smith matching his pace, easily closing the distance. Unsure whether to slow down or speed up, and unable to shake the sense that he was being watched just as closely as he was being followed, Levi made his winding way through the piles of boxes on the first floor and felt a wave of relief upon reaching the door he’d entered.

He opened it and stepped outside, cool air hitting him, its chill a welcome distraction. He could finally breathe, finally get back to his car, his home, his peace and quiet without some ridiculous, rich, hot bastard breathing down his neck. He turned to say his goodbyes, only to find that Mr. Smith had already stuck a massive hand out.

“Huh,” Levi grunted, taking it. The shake was quick, decisive, strong- and left Levi with a very different impression than the man’s earlier mild manners had.

“I’m Erwin, by the way,” the man said.

“Levi,” was all Levi could manage.

A smile and a nod, and Levi took a dazed step backward as Erwin gave a small wave and closed the door.

He walked back to his car, steps mechanical. The job was done. He’d thought he could breathe. He’d thought he could finally get back into his car, and go home, and have that peace and quiet.

But Erwin Smith was making that all seem a lot more difficult than it had before.

And his fingers were already starting to feel cold. 


	2. Pink Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erwin explores his new town on foot and has a chance encounter with an old house.

Cool weather was running weather.

In the early morning light Erwin took a quick drive down to the Neck, parking in the public lot and stretching briefly. It felt good to wake up with the sun, and moving so much farther north had made that even easier. He’d only been in town a few weeks, and already his head was starting to clear. It was partly the ocean air- but it was more than that. There were fewer cars here, fewer buildings, and fewer people, too. They were all things past clients had told him he’d miss, but Erwin was beginning to suspect that those people just didn’t know how to appreciate anything but power, and money, and the power money could bring.

Erwin, though, was determined to enjoy it. He was still exploring town on foot, getting the lay of the land, and despite its compact size he hadn’t run out of streets or sights yet. It didn’t help that the roads were muddled together like so much spaghetti, or that the coastline meandered in all directions, but that was part of the challenge. As Erwin set off toward the center of town, he chose a more direct route than usual. There were some houses he particularly wanted to see- historical landmarks. That was why he’d chosen this sleepy little fishing town. Not for the dramatic sea view, or the charming quirks to the local culture, but for the history of the place.

He jogged down the sidewalk, taking the street that hugged the harbor. Pulling cool air into his lungs, his body woke up breath by breath. It was a shock to the system, sharp and refreshing. It made his heart beat louder, his muscles warming as he moved. Past the fish wholesaler he ran, staring down the wide driveway, trying to see inside the nondescript warehouse building. Feet picking up speed, his breath evening, Erwin went around a marina, most of the usual crowd of ratty little fishing boats already gone out for the morning catch. The scent of salt and sea in the air, his route led him through the town’s old industrial heart.

As his even steps hit the sidewalk, his movements began to feel more automatic. It gave Erwin time to look and think, to take in the dreamy morning. All low-hanging clouds, the ever-present murmur of waves swishing over rocks, and the occasional lonely notes of seagulls, his feet on the pavement sounded loud in his ears. His mind wandered as his body moved, going over the places he’d been, the pieces of the patchy mental map he’d assembled of his new home.

It was like a creature of the sea itself, this town, Erwin thought. Fishermen still waking up well before dawn, lobsters for sale from a father and his son’s boat, even the ice and the marine paint factories relied on the ocean for their business. Sure, there were other things in the town. He ticked them off as he ran: a secondhand bookstore, an Italian bakery, an ice cream shop. But they all clung close to the water, the whole town huddling around it, reaching into it with docks and boats and piers, needing it far more than it needed them. It was incredible that such a place existed, much as it had for centuries, vestiges of different time periods cobbled together in a mess of Colonial styling and practical brick. People had dwelt here for so long, living off the water, and even the newcomer’s ties to the ocean felt just as strong as the day they’d crossed it and landed here centuries ago. They had a unique way of life, these singular people living out history, he mused, thoughts turning to the man who had come to his house a few nights before.

Levi Ackerman- he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him. Erwin turned up a side street, pushing his muscles as the grade steepened. He took deeper breaths, measuring them, using the oxygen to keep himself moving. Lifting his knees higher, relying on his arms for momentum, he tackled the hill. Thoughts of the short man rose unbidden as he huffed away. Incredibly pale skin, sharp features, dark hair, tired eyes, and a solid build for one so short were not enough to describe Levi Ackerman. Erwin grimaced with exertion, both mental and physical as the warmth in his thighs began to ache. He took deeper breaths, holding them for a count before releasing. Looking up the hill, he forced his body forward against its rise. It was a tough obstacle, even tougher when he kept being distracted by thoughts of the little locksmith. Ignoring the burn that had spread to his calves, the tightness building in his Achilles's tendons, Erwin set his sights on the hilltop. A few more blocks. A few more houses. Then only a few more steps- the ground leveled at the top of the rise, and Erwin slowed to a stop, catching his breath as he stretched.

The air he greedily pulled into his lungs should have cleared his head- but instead his brain lit up even brighter with the same thing it had been so intent on before: Levi. He was strikingly attractive, in a way that gripped Erwin’s core, the rush even more intense as it mixed with endorphins from his jog. But there was more, too. Something Erwin hadn’t been able to place. Something which intrigued him about the man. He remembered.

It was Levi’s hands.

Clever fingers. Powerful grip. And cold.

Too cold, Erwin thought. Even after being in his well-heated home for nearly half an hour, Levi’s hands were still cold.

Erwin shook his head. He finished his stretches. Starting up again, one foot in front of the other, was easier with warm muscles. Erwin set off toward the highway and the houses he’d meant to see. The mystery of Levi could wait until later, or maybe something in his mind would shake to the top as he ran- for now he abandoned the confusing muddle in favor of his destination.

On level ground he ran faster, testing a few sprints, counting the number of houses he passed as timing. The distance felt meaningless, turned into a series of steps and breaths, of intervals and pace changes, as his feet ate up the ground. Able to keep his mind on running, he was also able to move faster. The familiar feeling of strength and momentum returned, bolstered by the distance he’d already come. The sprints were hard but good, especially when he gave them his all. Feeling the burn in his muscles and lungs was exhilarating, the sense of connection and command with his own body intoxicating.

The first address he’d wanted to see Erwin missed- coming to the highway roundabout all too soon before stopping and looking for it. A few cars and trucks whipped around the two-lane curve, all going too fast, and Erwin sighed, turning around to search more thoroughly. He could never tell exactly where he was going here, all the one-way streets and narrow lanes twisted back on one another, changing names at their intersections, ignoring North and South for whatever old cow path they’d been built over. He walked briskly, trying to keep his heart rate up, stretching his legs as he craned his neck, trying to read numbers off mailboxes or houses.

Erwin didn’t have to walk far, in fact he’d just barely missed the house he’d been looking for. No wonder, he thought, as he paused, hands on his hips, staring at the building. He hadn’t expected it to be on a lot next to the busy roundabout, but that was exactly where the old house sat. It hadn’t been built there- or rather the road hadn’t even existed when it was built. Instead time had continued on around it, the town’s shape changing, growing tighter and closer, squeezed by the coast and the rocky land until the historic home was much closer to the center of it all than ever intended. Erwin shook his head, amazed that it hadn’t just been ripped down, its lot cleared when the highway was built.

But people here were different. They didn’t just throw the past away. They kept it and protected it. Old didn’t mean useless, and that was what Erwin had been searching for. Nestled back from the road, behind a wooden fence and a number of fine old trees, a sunny yellow Georgian building looked like it was trying to retreat from modern life. The only side visible from the road was shaped like a barn, and Erwin could see at least one brick chimney rising up from the center of its roof. He wished he could get a better view. It was supposed to be one of the largest old homes in town, and he would have liked to admire it up close, but the long private driveway and fence weren’t very inviting. Instead Erwin contented himself with walking slowly past the lot a few more times before turning around.

He had to cross the highway roundabout to get to the other house he wanted to see. One of the first things he’d done when he moved was to look up the register of historic places, and his morning runs were taking him systematically by all of them in turn. Some were more interesting, or visible than others, but they were all important to him. Knowing a town’s old architecture was like seeing its bones. They were full of information and clues. Defensive considerations, agricultural utilization, professional considerations, and even social strata were reflected in them, so Erwin was keen to see all he could.

At least this second house should have been easier to find. It was on the same street, so there was less chance of getting lost. That, and he’d planned his route as a loop. The highway marked the turning point, and now Erwin was heading back toward the center of town. He jogged casually through a neighborhood, taking his time and letting himself fall into whatever rhythm felt natural. The town was waking up around him. The late autumn sun began to rise, turning the bluish and grey light warmer, the grass greener as he passed tiny squares of trimmed lawn. The number of cars was picking up on the roads, and Erwin watched a few commuters wipe the frost from their windshields before starting their vehicles.

Before long he came to a corner and slowed down. The address he’d been looking for was close, and Erwin spotted it on a mailbox. He stopped, standing on the sidewalk, admiring the house. This one was also set back behind a small front yard, but there was no fence, and he could see it clearly. On top of that, he wasn’t viewing the side of the house, but its inviting front. Simple, but handsome, it was painted blue and lined in white trim, black shutters adding the only embellishment Erwin could see. It looked like the kind of house a child would draw: two stories, perfect rectangle, peaked roof, chimney, and a front door directly at its center. There was an addition on one side, leaning out a little from the main structure, but it didn’t spoil the effect of orderly windows and shutters lined up in perfect rows one on top of the other.

Erwin’s eyes were drawn to a small square of wood mounted on the house’s side. He knew what it was. Similar plaques marked other historic buildings in town, and Erwin walked over to the driveway, starting down it until he could read the marker clearly. The year written in the center in large print was clear: 1700. Erwin whistled, picking up his pace as his curiosity mounted- the home was even older than he’d thought. A few more steps brought him close enough to discern the rest, and Erwin stopped short, brows pulling together in concentration as he read the inscription.

Capt. L. Ackerman.

Erwin blinked. The words had not changed. 1700, Capt. L. Ackerman. Built in 1700, for a Captain L. Ackerman- that’s what the plaque was clearly telling him, but Erwin was having difficulty accepting it. What a bizarre coincidence, that this home had been built for someone with the same last name as the locksmith he’d just met. Still puzzling over it all, Erwin didn’t notice the van pulling up the driveway behind him until it honked. Startling, he hurried off onto the grass, watching in a daze as the small white delivery van rolled down the drive and came to a stop next to the house.

He was still watching when a man got out and pulled a large Styrofoam case from the truck’s back. All his staring earned him was a raised eyebrow and an exasperated shake of the head as the delivery man lugged the heavy case to the front door, rang the doorbell, and headed back to his vehicle without even bothering to wait.

“Uh, excuse me,” Erwin said, finally shaking off some of his confusion, “can you tell me who lives here?”

“Sure can, I’m only here every other day,” the man griped. “It’s Ackerman. The lock guy.” His accent was nasal and flat, dropping r’s in strange places and making it sound more like he’d said ‘Ack-ahhh-man’ than ‘Ack-er-man’, but Erwin had no trouble recognizing the name.

“Levi Ackerman?”

“That’s the guy. So you do know him. Glad I’m not just giving his info to some weirdo.”

Erwin pointed to the plaque on the house’s side. “That also says Ackerman. Is it the same Ackerman?”

“Same Ackerman,” the man confirmed, adding, “Same family. Same house. Three hundred odd years. Yeah, yeah, yeah. New in town, huh?” Erwin could only nod. “Thought so,” the delivery man muttered, making his way back over to the driver’s side door. He opened it, got back in, brake lights turning on as he backed up. He stopped alongside Erwin, passenger window rolling down as he leaned over. “Let me give you some neighborly advice,” he called out of it, “Mr. Ackerman is an okay guy, but very particular about his lawn. I wouldn’t stand on that grass too long if I were you.” 

“Ah, right, thanks,” Erwin responded, sidestepping back onto the driveway just as the man rolled up the window and pulled out. _Steve’s Fresh Seafood_ the side of the white van proclaimed, and Erwin pondered its retreating form before it disappeared around a bend. Once it was gone he continued to stand, staring off into the distance, trying to make sense of the abrupt interaction, before glancing at Mr. Ackerman’s front lawn. It was a very nice lawn indeed, and the man was right to be proud of it, he thought absently. But the more he stared the more he noticed: the grass was an unseasonably rich green, each blade perfectly trimmed, with not a single weed in sight. No fallen leaves either, he realized as his eyes scanned the unnaturally perfect yard.

And how odd was it that he’d found Levi Ackerman’s house without meaning to. He’d almost run into the very man occupying his thoughts. Even odder that the sense of strangeness about the man’s presence had only increased. Levi lived in a house that was more than three hundred years old. A house that had been built for someone who was probably a distant relative, but shared the same first initial. It could be a coincidence. But the feeling of cold fingers, wrapped tight around his, their grip almost painfully strong when they’d shaken hands- it cast his new knowledge in a different light.

He had to know more, Erwin realized.

He had to know if Levi’s family had lived in this town as long as it seemed. He had to know who Capt. L. Ackerman was. He had to know about the man who kept an impeccable lawn, who didn’t mind working weekend nights, and who hadn’t even batted an eye opening his 1830s sea chest.

He had to know who could possibly eat so many fish.


	3. Buck Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi returns to Erwin's mansion for a more complicated job.

The second call Levi got from Erwin Smith was even more interesting than the first, and not only because Levi had already accepted the fact that he was hopelessly attracted to the man.

No, this call was interesting because of the request Erwin made. Not only was Mr. Smith distractingly hot- he was also clearly eccentric. It wasn’t every day he got asked to come over and make an estimate on the repair of an antique safe. It was the perfect job, the exact kind of work Levi wished he could do all the time, and the thought of a welcome challenge paired with the possibility of excellent eye candy on the side was enough to make him think that maybe this century his luck had changed. It was more exciting than he’d like to admit, and Levi’s drive up the hill in town at breakneck speed to the cliffs was a blur.

Erwin had called him early the same morning and left a message, and even though Levi had only heard it after he’d woken up in the late afternoon, he’d thought about it nearly every minute since. He hadn’t even bothered to hide his interest when he’d returned the call. On top of it all, Erwin had agreed to meet that evening, and Levi could barely contain his curiosity. His left foot tapped on the car floor, his fingers drumming over the steering wheel. He didn’t even notice the distant crashing of waves, or the last calls of seabirds in the dying light as he pushed the pedal down and leaned forward in his seat.

The drive was a blur of eagerness and adrenaline as he pushed his car even harder than usual. It groaned in protest, but he flew around the tight turns, wind laced with salt roaring as it buffeted through the inch of window he’d cracked open. It was too cold to open them all the way, and in summer Levi would, but the hint of night air was enough for a thrill. The final hard left onto Mr. Smith’s gravel driveway left rubber smoldering on the asphalt and sent a shower of stones flying into the bushes. Punching the brakes just as fast, Levi’s tires locked and slid, grinding a few more feet before stopping- his wild parking technique bringing him perfectly to rest by the back of the mansion.

The safe Mr. Smith had described on the phone was somewhat more modern than the chest, and Levi had only intended to make an estimate, so everything he needed was in the standard toolbox he kept in the trunk. He’s barely lifted his hand to ring the doorbell when the door opened, revealing an enthusiastic Erwin. Just as under-dressed as their first meeting- the only changes Levi noticed were that the Erwin’s plaid pajamas were red today, and that he also wore a pair of horn-rimmed glasses. Not even fair. Not even fair, Levi thought, his attention immediately tugged to the way the glasses framed Mr. Smith’s aquiline features. They lent an air of authority to his already arresting looks, and he didn’t realize he was frozen in Erwin’s deep blue stare until the man spoke.

“Levi- you’re right on time. Come in.” Mr. Smith smiled and opened the door wider, gesturing Levi inside, and though he wasn’t sure when he’d changed from ‘Mr. Ackerman’ to ‘Levi’, the flash of tightness in his groin at hearing that deep voice speak his name was more than enough proof that he welcomed it.

“Right,” Levi muttered, forcing his eyes to the floor as he strode past Erwin. A clipped, “Thanks,” was all the politeness he could manage as he focused on getting far enough from Mr. Smith’s orbit to regain some sense. “Where’s the safe, again?” he asked, heading through the kitchen in what he hoped was the right direction.

“It’s on the table in the dining room,” Erwin supplied, as though that information was at all helpful. But he followed behind and gave no other directions, so Levi continued walking into the hall. The mountains of boxes from his last visit had reduced in size to mere hills, but Levi still felt a sense relief when he heard Erwin’s voice instructing him to, “Take a left.” The dining room was almost orderly in comparison, and its high ceiling was much less claustrophobic. Here the unpacking mess was confined only to a few corners, though the built-in china cabinet was already packed full of an eclectic mix of artifacts. Not a single plate or teacup in sight, but bottles, decanters, flasks, and a jumble of complicated blown glass equipment crowded the shelves. Levi spared it only a glace, more interested in the large wooden table occupying the center of the room.

On it sat the promised safe. It wasn’t large. Made for documents and a few valuables, the cast-iron box was about the size of a suitcase standing up on one end. Perched above the tabletop on four feet, it was a true period piece. Levi gave a quiet hum in appreciation, crossing the room quickly to get a better look. Leaning down until the safe was at eye level, he placed his toolbox quietly on the floor. “Nice one,” he commented, lifting the box and turning it to inspect the sides.

“Yes, the man I bought it from had done some gentle cleaning on the outside. Polished the nickel dials, that kind of thing. Luckily didn’t use anything too harsh. I prefer the aged look anyway.”

Levi nodded in agreement. The safe was ornamented plenty without being shined to within an inch of its life. The iron faces were cast in relief- textured and decorated with shield insignia. Crisp corners, the name of the safe-maker in proud block letters in an arc over the front, and two combination dials one atop the other made it a pleasingly compact item. He lifted it higher, turning it to peer at the underside. The box had good weight and was well-made. There were no obvious points of weakness, no external hinges, no seams other than the door. “Don’t guess you know the combos?” Levi mused, already beginning to plan his approach strategy.

“No, and the man I bought it from said it was broken anyway, so it wouldn’t open even if I did know.”

“Huh,” Levi grunted, his voice flattening in disappointment. “Well, then it’ll be doubly broken when we open it.”

“What?”

“I’m going to have to break this to open it,” Levi admitted glumly.

“Really?” Erwin asked, “But I thought you could repair it.”

“I can, but I need to break it first. If it were open, then that would be different.” Levi turned the safe back over. He tested the dials, heart sinking when they spun freely under his touch. The small nub of a latch confirmed his suspicions when he tried to jimmy it sideways on its track. Sure enough, it was stuck. “A lock broken closed is fail-safe.” Levi commented, replacing the iron box on the table, and turning to face Mr. Smith. The blond man’s expression was thoughtful, as he looked between the safe and Levi.

“I’d prefer not to damage it, or its contents. There’s nothing else you can do?” he asked.

Crossing his arms, Levi let out a small sigh. “Look, you asked me for an estimate. That means you want my professional opinion. And my professional opinion is that right now this little safe is a fancy paperweight. It’s busted. Now, you can either keep it to impress dinner guests, or you can let me bust it a bit more and then fix it up for you.”

Erwin brought a hand up to his chin, blond brows drawing close as he considered the words.

“But you know, you only asked for an estimate. I’ll give you that. You can think about it and let me know later,” Levi added.

“No,” Erwin mused quietly, his eyes trained directly on Levi as though he was looking through him, “I want to see y- ah…” he trailed off, the end of his sentence hanging until he cleared his throat. “I want to see what’s inside the safe.” Levi paused, staring for a moment, wondering at what he’d heard, then dismissed the thoughts as wishful imagination in the face of Erwin’s expectant look.

“R-right. Well, do you… have an email? Fax? Something?” he asked.

“Oh!” A flash of realization lit Erwin’s features. He patted his undershirt absently, as though searching for a pocket that didn’t exist, before doing the same to his pajama bottoms- front and back. “Let me just give you my card,” he said before stopping the automatic motion of his hands and giving Levi a quick smile. “I remember now. I’ve just unpacked them. How about I meet you by the back door?” Levi nodded agreement, and before he had a chance for more, Erwin was already heading out into the hall.

Retreating footsteps faded, and Levi heard another door open on creaky hinges. He took a moment, looking around the dining room again, as he picked his toolbox back up off the floor. Now that he wasn’t so distracted, by both Mr. Smith’s presence and his work, he was realizing how unlike a dining room the space felt. There was the table, but it was broader and higher than most dinner tables. Its wooden top was thick, scarred by scratches and nicks, rough where he ran his hand over it. Dark rings and blotches formed stains marking its surface. There was even a large singed patch to one side, burnt black with a nasty split opening from its edge, and Levi got the distinct feeling that this table wasn’t meant to be eaten off of. His eyes were drawn to the china cupboard once again, and the glassware stuffed inside further confirmed his suspicions. Curious, he started over to a corner of the room, ready to inspect the contents of a pile of partly-packed boxes.

In only a few steps Levi stopped himself consciously. He took a deep breath. Erwin Smith was a strange man, but everyone had their idiosyncrasies. This was none of his business. He was here for a job, and that was all. It did not matter that Erwin was hot, or friendly, or that he made Levi feel awkward and hyper-aware and amused all at once. It didn’t matter. Because Erwin was human. With that, Levi let his curiosity fizzle out, and left the room.

He didn’t look at a single cardboard box as he walked back down the hall, not stopping until he reached the back door.

Once there he waited, avoiding looking at anything too closely, or thinking about Erwin Smith too much. Instead he made a few mental notes about the safe, its condition, how many hours of labor he’d probably have to put into its repair. It wasn’t an easy estimate to make since he wouldn’t know the real damage until he broke it open. On the other hand, he wanted to work on it either way and he was pretty sure Mr. Smith could afford it.

The man in question interrupted his thoughts when he strode into the kitchen. He crossed the open space easily, long legs bringing him to stand in front of Levi in a few steps. “Here,” he said, holding out the promised card.

“Uh, thanks,” Levi said, taking it and realizing he didn’t have anything to offer in return. “You… know my number already, so, yeah,” he finished lamely as he looked down at the business card.

**_Smith Strategic Consulting_ **

Erwin Smith, MD, PhD, JD, ThD

_Solutions Wizard_

“Uh-huh,” Levi grunted, frowning deeply at the card. In addition to the meaningless collection of abbreviations and words on it, there was also an actual email address. “So, I’ll email you. I guess.”

“Perfect,” Mr. Smith confirmed. He paused, looking intently at Levi, a smile playing at the edges of his mouth. It was like he was waiting for something. Expecting Levi to say something, ask something, do something- but Levi had no idea what. The silence stretched, quickly growing more and more uncomfortable as Levi searched his brain trying to decide why Erwin was still looking at him. He’d already messed up by not having a business card. Mr. Smith’s credentials were more than he’d expected, and as Levi clutched the card in his hand he started to feel horribly out of place- in the stupid mansion, still wearing his stupid coat indoors, standing stupidly with nothing to say. Unable to stand the awkwardness any longer, he said the first thing that came to mind.

“You’ll get an estimate in 24 hours,” he promised, opening the door as he turned, and walking briskly to his car without a backward glance.


	4. Beaver Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erwin does a little digging on his own into Levi's past, but learns far more from an unexpected run-in with a local.

For being such an established family, there was very little information about the Ackermans that Erwin was able to dig up. He’d tried all the usual places- the library, deeds, permits, and of course the internet, and he’d learned a few things, but Levi Ackerman was still largely a mystery. His business had a minimal website. There were few to no mentions of him in the local newspaper’s archives. He’d gotten a permit for re-roofing his house six years ago, but there was nothing out of the ordinary about that. In fact, it was the very lack of information that really piqued Erwin’s interest. It became a challenge, calling up local offices, digging into records, going to the county seat to look up anything and everything he thought might help him. And somehow, the more he looked, the less he found.

Erwin wasn’t surprised when he didn’t find any vital records for Levi Ackerman. He’d thought the man was born locally, but a search of the town and county record convinced him that Levi must have moved at some point. But when he couldn’t find any records for Levi’s parents, or relatives, or ancestors, that was when he started to wonder. No birth certificates, marriage licenses, death certificates, or even obituaries for any of the Ackermans came up no matter where he looked. It was as though the Ackerman family didn’t exist at all- yet they’d apparently owned a historic residence near the middle of town for centuries. That was probably the oddest thing- the fact that the Ackerman home had not been deeded to anyone else- ever. As far as the state was concerned, the blue house with the perfect yard still belonged to Captain L. Ackerman.

But that was impossible.

There was no way the man who had been coming over the past few weeks to work on his safe could be older than thirty-five. So Erwin kept searching, and thinking, and reading. It was becoming a bit of an obsession, and Erwin found himself wondering over it again one afternoon while he was supposed to be doing real work. One of his longtime contacts had called again. A high-level advisor to an aging stateswoman, they’d had legitimate concerns over their leader’s increasing senility. Once whip-sharp, a brilliant strategic mind, her mental faculties had taken a dramatic turn for the worst in only a few weeks. With a crucial treaty negotiation coming up that involved foreign dignitaries on rather rocky terms, there was no time for forgetfulness and no space for incompetence. Erwin had agreed to help. He hadn’t loved the idea of the job- keeping people too old for their work in their positions wasn’t something he thought wise. That and tampering with someone’s intended lifespan could be… regrettable. Erwin knew that well enough. But her final term was ending anyway in a few months, and his client had reassured him there was more to gain than to lose.

Tightening a thumbscrew around the neck of a round-bottomed flask, Erwin gave the whole thing a once-over. He’d finally gotten the correct glassware setup for his synthesis, after a few adjustments and substitutions. Two large Erlenmeyer flasks had already fallen victim to distractions and been swept hastily to the side in a pile of glass shards and dust, but in the end he’d had enough spare equipment to make up for it.

Erwin looked over his notebook again, repeating the first few lines of the incantation silently as he ticked through the list of components again. Two different solvents, medicinal herbs that had arrived the previous day from Borneo by airmail, and a number of different bottles and jars of powders and liquids held everything he’d need. Taking a deep breath, Erwin tried to focus. He’d need to clear his mind to make this correctly; it was complicated and a single mistake would throw the balance completely off. Heating the beakers too much or too little could result in harmful byproducts sneaking in, even with the distillation step, and this job required his full attention. Frowning hard, Erwin willed himself to think about his client, about how necessary the concoction he’d designed would be to facilitating their negotiations, and about how much hung in the balance.

But it was very difficult when his mind kept showing him glimpses of Levi instead. Levi bending over the same table he was standing in front of now, Levi biting his lip as he unscrewed the tiniest screws Erwin had ever seen, Levi brushing his dark bangs away from his face and leaving a little smudge of antique oil on his pale forehead in the process. Erwin shivered. Having the man come over to his house for the safe repair had seemed like a good idea at first, especially because it gave Erwin an excuse to watch, but it had given his imagination far too much fuel and now was not the time. With a heavy sigh Erwin brought his hand up to rub the unwanted vision from his eyes, only realizing his forehead was wrinkling too when his fingers pressed to his face.

“Come on, you can do this. You said you’d mail the medicine by Friday,” Erwin reminded himself. He flipped through a few pages of the notebook, skimming the instructions. Heating temperatures, times, a few steps happening concurrently so that everything would mix together at just the right pace- it wasn’t the most complex synthesis he’d ever devised, but it wasn’t simple either. “Well, better get this thing done,” Erwin reassured himself, and thumbed back to the beginning of the recipe.

He filled a water bath and clipped a thermometer to its side, turning on the hot plate. A precise measure of solvent went into the flask submerged a few inches into it, and as Erwin set to grinding the dried plants into a fine powder he began to chant the incantation. The sounds were low and rumbling, building in his chest, climbing up his throat, setting his vocal cords vibrating in a way that thrummed and multiplied. More tonal and deep than actual words, Erwin instead channeled the meaning he desired into them, letting go of other thoughts until the room had dimmed and shrunk around him, the sound filling it too. Breathing in air, breathing out magic, infusing their atoms with an energy, the sounds dispersed. Carried by Brownian motion, transferred between molecules, they rippled and flickered out from their source: the low warbling song that Erwin continued to chant. He kept going until the air felt thick, electric, making the hair on the back of his neck rise. Just a little longer he continued, until breathing in the air was much harder than breathing it out, until the room was permeated, humid with magic.

Keeping the sounds going, letting his chanting quiet to little more than a hum, Erwin poured half the powder into the heating liquid in the flask and turned his attention to the next step. Mixing, pouring, holding the glass rod close to the lip of the beaker so not a single drop splashed as he transferred the fluid to another container, all the while Erwin murmured and the air throbbed. The familiarity of his lab work was starting to take over, and Erwin’s motions became less clumsy, more automatic. He didn’t have to focus so much as he turned down a hot plate, as he wiped a little extra silicone grease over a joint, as he set up a burette, filling it with just enough acid before putting the rest of the bottle aside. The sound had taken on a life of its own, and it pulsed in the air around him. Every once in a while Erwin would add a new tone or note, directing the chant subtly, changing its nature ever so slightly as the synthesis progressed.

Before he knew it Erwin was caught up in it too. The full attention turned to half. Time passed, slow as he watched each drip, checking and rechecking the thermometers, holding the intent in his mind and the chant in his throat, but then faster and faster as these things became second nature. Lighting the flame of the burner, turning the gas down, he went through the recipe with a practiced ease. One page of the notebook, then two, then three, flipped back to reveal seemingly endless steps. And Erwin’s thoughts began to drift once more. To thin features screwed up in concentration, to jeans that stretched tight on strong legs when their wearer crouched to go through his tools, and to the wool coat, lying on the floor, discarded to reveal a compact, athletic build that made an undercurrent of arousal join the room’s flowing sound. Levi had slipped back into his thoughts, and Erwin was powerless to dismiss him this time.

What he gave the magic, it took and amplified, rolling them into its sound. Erwin checked on a solution, its bubbling more vigorous than he’d remembered it being. It looked fine though, and Erwin eased open the spigot on the acid burette as the first few drops of distillate wet the bottom of a beaker. Still humming and chanting absently, Erwin went about his work, his mind drifting back to rest on Levi more and more. The air grew warmer. Erwin’s breathing got heavier. The chant felt guttural in his throat as he gasped out the refrain. The warmth wasn’t just in the air anymore. It was pulsing in his crotch too, as he recalled just how tight Levi’s grip was, how he could almost imagine it- not in a handshake- but groping elsewhere, lighting flickers of excitement in his body.

Erwin didn’t notice the tone of the magic changing. Ringing deeper, vibrations growing until the glassware shivered, tinkling its own high notes as it shook. He couldn’t stop the thoughts now. He’d given them air from his lungs, he’d spoken them out into the room, adding their rhythm to the chant. And like a wave they’d built, swelling until they crested and broke, flooding over him. Trapping him in their undertow. He swore he’d already done that last step, but when he looked at the table- no, maybe he hadn’t. What had he been doing? Erwin cast about in a haze, looking around the table for his notebook before looking down to find it still in his hands. Holding it closer, he tried to focus, but the small words on the page weren’t interesting. What was interesting was Levi. He wanted him. He _needed_ him. Erwin groaned, feeling his cock jump as his thighs clenched.

The notebook slipped from his limp hands. It fell face-down. And just as Erwin’s hand found its way between his legs, to squeeze his crotch, feeling the bulge of his half-hard length pressing against his jeans-

 _EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeee-_ a high pitched whine permeated the air, its frequency rising.

Erwin blinked, snapping back to the moment.

eeeeee------- the sound went silent. But not. Erwin could sense it, behind his eardrums, setting his teeth on edge. Too high to hear. Ultra-sound.

“Oh no,” he whispered.

\-------CRRRRRRRRACK - _BANG_

The flask over the open flame split and popped.

“Oh no-” with a whoosh the flame shot up, lighting the vapor on fire in a giant plume as glass shot everywhere- “Oh no, no, no, no, no,” Erwin repeated, rushing forward, arm outstretched as he tried to catch the wobbling ring stand before it-

Fell. Toppling sideways. Onto the bottle of acid.

“Oh. Oooohhh. Nooo,” Erwin groaned as the metal stand smashed the bottle and hit the table, the acrid smell wafting over him, making his nose sting. Bringing his arm up over his watering eyes, Erwin stumbled back, running to the side of the room to open the windows. He wrenched them up one after the other, not caring when cold air rushed in. Throwing the last one open, he stuck his head and shoulders out, gulping breaths of cold, fresh air. The shock of the temperature and oxygen cleared his head.

Flopping over the windowsill with a long groan, Erwin let his body hang half out of the house as he collected himself. This was ridiculous. He had work to do. People were waiting for him. The future of nations hung in the balance, not to mention his reputation. A whole afternoon’s worth of work was wasted, and more time if you counted what it had taken to assemble the ingredients. As Erwin stared down at an overgrown holly bush, feeling the outdoors’ chill start to reach him, he let himself to sink into a moment of self-pity. Maybe what everyone had said was true. He was going soft. He wasn’t out here to find history, to improve his research, to deepen his knowledge. Those were just excuses. He was just running away: from all the fakers, and liars, and manipulators who always just pushed for more and never gave a single thought for anyone else’s well-being. He’d worked for them too long. They’d preyed on his good intentions and left him hopeless, and tired, and directionless. He sighed. At least the holly bush looked good. It was thriving, full of shining red berries- must be a female. Erwin closed his eyes, dismissing the dreary thoughts. He wasn’t running away. And he wanted to be here. Hopefully this place would be as good for him as it was for the plants. Having gotten that over with, he heaved his body inside, and turned around to survey the damage.

There was broken glass on the table and floor, and Erwin avoided it in his approach. Acid had splashed onto the floor, but had mostly been soaked up by one of his favorite Persian rugs. The puddle on the table was more worrying, and Erwin reached gingerly around it, turning his face away from any fumes to turn off the flame. Everything else he unplugged from the walls, keeping his distance as much as possible. He headed into the kitchen, and started opening cabinets, looking for baking soda to neutralize the spill. The single half-empty box he found at the back of a nearly-empty cabinet he didn’t even recognize- it had probably come along with the house. The clumpy powder inside wasn’t very promising, and Erwin didn’t even bother trying to use it. Instead he collected his car keys and coat, put on his boots, and went out to buy more.

~

Three in the afternoon on a weekday was not a busy time at the grocery store. The few people walking the aisles either had kids in tow or were doing so at a geriatric snail’s pace, and it was easy to avoid them altogether. As Erwin cruised down the row of shelves, looking for the area stocking baking supplies, he had already tuned everything else out.

“I can’t believe it…” he muttered, “Acting like this. Over someone I barely know. The rug is probably ruined.” Erwin continued his half-conscious stream of thoughts as he stopped walking. “But none of it makes sense. He can’t just not exist. The same with his family…” Erwin scanned the shelves, passing over flour and sugar as he looked. “…and who was this Captain? Maybe that’s who I need to start looking up instead…” Finally spotting the baking soda, Erwin placed a few boxes in his basket. He paused, trying to estimate how much acid he’d spilled, then put a few more in as he continued his rambling, “I just can’t believe there’s no information about Levi Ackerman.”

“What do you want to know about Levi Ackerman?”

The voice behind made Erwin pause stock still before turning. He found himself uncomfortably close with the speaker. Mousey brown hair pulled up into a messy ponytail, a pair of thick glasses, and an over-sized raincoat gave the stranger a bit of a disheveled look, but there was no mistaking the question.

“Ah, well,” he backpedaled searching for a plausible explanation, adding the box of baking soda he was still holding to his basket. “It’s nothing much, I’m just- I’ve just hired him to repair a safe. And I- want to be sure his business is reputable. Can never be too careful, especially letting someone into your home.”

“Oh, sure, know what you mean there,” the stranger nodded eagerly. “Well, that’s a relief!”

The response was oddly worded enough to spark Erwin’s curiosity. “A relief?” he prompted, “How so?” Erwin gave a mild smile, hoping it would be enough to coax something further.

“Well you can never be too sure these days is all.” The stranger shrugged, and held out a hand, “That and Levi’s hung out with some total weirdos in the past. I’m Hange Zoe by the way. Haven’t seen you around before, you live here?”

“I do now. Erwin Smith.” They shook hands, Hange’s head bobbing along in a nod as they did. “So you know Levi, then?”

“As well as anyone. I mean, I see him at the town hall meetings. Run into him every once in a while. Had some conversations. May have tried to get him to join the bowling league over town once or twice. That kind of thing.”

“So,” Erwin continued, trying to keep up the charade of casual interest and steer the conversation back without getting swept away by the flood of extra information, “his business is pretty established then?”

“Oh, yeah, been here forever. It’s a family thing. Pretty sure he’s like the third or fourth,” Hange responded. “At least that’s what I hear. I’ve only lived here 15 years. Practically nothing to some folks. You know, there are some people here who never even leave the Cape- wild, isn’t it? They’ve never crossed that bridge on the highway _once_ \- call themselves Cape People.”

“Cape… People…?” Erwin repeated, a little dazed. “Doesn’t that sound more like people who wear cloaks than…”

“Ha-HAA! You’re right, it does, doesn’t it?” Hange laughed, slapping Erwin on the shoulder like they’d already known each other for ages. “I hadn’t thought of that! Well, anyway, nice to meet you, Erwin. If you’ve got any questions I’m happy to help a newcomer out. Us outsiders have got to stick together if you know what I mean.”

Realizing that conversing with Hange was going to take more than a little force, Erwin seized the brief opening. “Ah, actually Hange, I do have a question. You said Levi used to hang out with weirdos. Do you think there’s something about him, attracting those types?”

“Weirdos?” Hange echoed, a look of temporary confusion flitting across their features. Quickly replaced by a frown, they took a step back. “That’s not very nice. Calling people ‘weirdos’.”

“Isn’t that what you just said?” It was Erwin’s turn for confusion.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Hange shook their head before fixing him with a look of deep disapproval. “Those types? Weirdos? People aren’t ‘weirdos’ just because they’re gay.” Erwin immediately cringed. He had almost heard the air quotes Hange had made. They gave him another cutting look as their voice got louder. “Obviously gay people hang out with their partners. Or lovers. Or hookups- whatever! There’s no mystery to it. This is the 21st century, Erwin-” Erwin looked around quickly, his face heating as he realized the almost-shout Hange’s voice had reached. “-People are gay!”

Confusion now completely replaced by mortification, Erwin tried his best to recover from the gaffe he didn’t know how he’d made. “Uh. You’re right, Hange. There’s nothing wrong with that. Being gay. I mean. I’m actually- well. I- uh, must have misheard something you said before.”

The brief storm of disgust was quickly banished from Hange’s face by a beaming smile. They barked out a laugh and clapped him on the upper arm. “No worries. See you around! Say ‘Hello’ to Levi for me!” They winked and sauntered off, leaving Erwin blinking and feeling like he’d narrowly avoided being run over by a bus. As he collected himself in the wake of Hange’s words, he absently counted the boxes of baking soda he’d put into his basket and added a few more without bothering to think.

He hadn’t learned anything useful from the conversation, not really, at least nothing about why he couldn’t find any record of Levi’s existence.

Instead, he’d learned something far more exciting.


	5. Wolf Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi is starting to become comfortable with Erwin's presence until-

After a few weeks of coming over to Erwin’s home in the evenings, whenever he could make it, Levi had gotten more used to the other man’s presence. Though he’d responded within the promised 24 hours with the initial estimate, Erwin didn’t seem to be in any hurry to have the job done. It worked out well- the odd request that he do the work in Erwin’s house combined with Levi’s own schedule preferences meant he could only spend a few hours at a time before it got too late and he left for home. It all resulted in slow but steady progress on the safe while Erwin hung around in the background.

At first he’d been nothing but questions, always trying to get a look at Levi’s tools or the inner workings of the lock mechanism, constantly offering help when he had no idea what was needed. Endearing at first, the novelty wore off quickly. Erwin liked to stand closer than Levi was comfortable with, and had the unfortunate habit of interrupting just when he needed to focus most. On top of all that, Erwin was a klutz. He’d dropped lock-picks, stepped on and bent the delicate tips of Levi’s tools, and when he accidentally swept a handful of tiny cogs and springs off the tabletop that was the last straw- Levi had to politely request that Erwin stop getting in the way.

After that the questions didn’t end, but at least the other man kept more distance between himself and the multitude of tiny, precisely arranged pieces Levi had carefully extracted from the safe’s lock. His help gently, if firmly, refused, Erwin eased into a more natural arrangement. He’d greet Levi at the door, invite him in, and let him get to work. Some nights Erwin would even disappear into another room to do something else, the questions and broken conversation he usually kept going turning to a comfortable silence in the dining room.

One evening, after almost a month, while Levi was taking a break and staring at a huge burn mark on the carpet wondering why he hadn’t noticed it before, the sound of Erwin’s voice from the door made him turn.

“I made tea- do you want some?”

“What kind?” Levi asked. Erwin held a mug in each hand and raised one, offering it.

“Earl Grey. I think there’s lavender in it. I’ve put cream in and I can add sugar if you-”

“Cream is fine,” Levi cut him off. Cream was not fine, but Erwin had already made it and he wasn’t about to let him ruin it further with sugar. He took the mug from Erwin’s outstretched hand and brought it to his face, giving the aromatic steam a tentative sniff. Even with the cream it still smelled good.

“How’s it going?” Erwin said while Levi took a small sip of tea. It tasted even better, and the cream could be forgiven.

“Not bad. I’ve found a few more rusted parts that I’ll need to pull out and make replacements for.” Erwin nodded absently as Levi spoke. He didn’t make any move to interrupt, but Levi could tell he wasn’t really paying attention either. He took the hint, only adding a little more, “After that, it can go back together. Should work. We’ll see.”

“Ah, yes. I meant how’s it going- like, how’s life going? How are you?”

The question surprised Levi, but only for the moment before he realized why Erwin had looked so disinterested before. Levi paused before taking another sip of tea, instead lowering the mug to peer over its rim. As soon as he did he regretted it. Erwin’s eyes were directly on him, locking him in their blue gaze. The change in his features was incredible. A little shiver passed down Levi’s spine, the intensity of Erwin’s stare turning his tongue heavy and his limbs stiff. “How’s it going?” he mumbled, the sound of his words coming out too loud as he spoke them into the mug. “Uh,” he tried to recover, lowering his hand quickly, “Fine. Going fine. I’m fine.” There was nothing more to say, nothing more Levi could think to add at least, but Erwin’s eyes were too intent, too blue, and he needed to escape. “You?”

Erwin gave something halfway between a chuckle and a sigh, but released him from the stare. They drank their tea in silence for a few moments, Erwin blowing on his. Levi didn’t mind the heat. He preferred his tea hot- scalding even. Savoring the steam coming off his mug, he breathed it deep, the little bit of warmth entering through his nose and throat. It traveled into his head and chest, the citrus and floral scents of bergamot and lavender making him forget the drizzle of rain he knew was falling outside. By the time Erwin spoke again the tea had already relaxed him.

“I just asked because I feel like I’ve been doing all the talking every time you’re over,” Erwin explained, his rich voice softer than Levi had ever heard it before. “Asking questions, telling you all kinds of things about myself, rambling on about my clients and my work, just talking to talk, maybe. It’s easy to do when someone is a good listener. But I thought maybe you’d want a chance, too.”

“Hmm,” Levi responded. He took one final drink of tea, leaving the last settled bit at the bottom of the cup. “I’m- actually pretty shit at small talk,” he admitted. “And anyway… that stuff you keep telling me about isn’t bad. The political crap is over my head, but your approach makes sense. Studying history- I’m sure there’s a lot you can apply to current events. After all, nothing’s new…” he trailed off, frowning into the bottom of his mug before deciding there wasn’t anything left worth drinking there. He turned away from Erwin, heading back over to the table and his work, placing the empty mug on its corner. Standing in front of the disassembled mess of the safe, he surveyed its condition.

“That’s good then,” Erwin said. “I’m glad you don’t mind. I thought maybe… you were getting a little bored with it.” Levi shrugged, and heard a soft chuckle behind him. “Well if that’s the case then I’d like your opinion on something. I’ve got a contact, an antique dealer I know, who’s just told me about a bunch of things he got called over to look at in an old first-period home’s basement. Apparently they had a whole stash of journals and documents, looks like a mix of receipts as well. The stuff’s in great condition according to him, and the house used to belong to-” Erwin rambled on as Levi only half-listened. Instead he nodded, gave a few grunts of agreement, and continued going about his work. He only needed part of his attention to listen to Erwin, as he explained who the documents might have belonged to and how he thought they might help him gain insight into some or another aspect of complicated trade policy that Levi had no interest in whatsoever.

As he fitted a slim screwdriver into a thin gap behind a rusty piece of iron and slotted it into a screw he could barely see, he let Erwin go on. Usually he sorted his thoughts out on his own anyway, Levi had found, and didn’t need much prompting other than the occasional sound- questioning or affirming. “-the problem with their current policy is that they fear it may be giving too much preference to foreign investors and-” “-I told him I’d love to see the documents but I haven’t gotten a chance to drive up there yet and I’d like to ask about a few other things when I go, you know, make a day of it-” snippets of Erwin’s monologue passed by. Instead of trying to grab them and hold onto every part, Levi let them ebb and flow. It was even kind of nice; the one-sided conversation made for pleasant background noise. As Levi unscrewed a few more pieces, chipping hardened remnants of grease from them before he loosened the parts enough to remove, he realized the he wasn’t bothered by it at all anymore. The conversation was a pleasant backdrop to his work, and he enjoyed having Erwin around. Maybe he’d been wrong- Erwin wasn’t really a bother at all. And he seemed to enjoy Levi’s presence as well, especially if he was so willing to confide in him and ask for his thoughts. It felt nice to be needed, even if it was in such a small way. The peace offering of tea had worked its magic.

As Erwin talked, Levi worked. Leaning over, peering into the safe’s innards, Levi lifted its front end off the table. He was trying to see behind a particularly large plate, looking for thin wires hidden behind it, but the angle was tricky. Catching a glimpse of what he wanted, he memorized its position. After putting the safe back down, he guided a hooked tool behind the plate. Judging by feel alone there was nothing where he’d thought it should be. Or maybe it was there, but it was stuck. It was impossible to tell, and Levi’s jaw set as he placed his tool back down. Again, he picked up the front of the safe, maneuvering it so he could see. But now he couldn’t reach- the angle was all wrong. He could either lift and see or reach blindly, but neither combination would work. He gave a huff of frustration, letting the heavy metal box drop back onto the table with a clang.

“-need a hand?”

The question made him realize just how wrapped up in his work he’d been. He hadn’t even noticed that Erwin had stopped talking, though it was just as likely that he hadn’t.

“Yeah,” Levi relented.

“Do you want me to hold it up?” Erwin walked over as Levi nodded.

“Lift it by the front,” he instructed. Putting a hand on the corner, Erwin pushed, trying to rock the open safe up on its back feet. It barely came off the table, and he grunted, straining. The extra effort was enough to tilt the whole safe back, and Erwin held it there while Levi leaned over his arm, trying to get a good view.

“Up a little more. More. OK, open the door again.” Erwin did, and Levi switched tactics, crouching down instead, peering up at the inside of the safe’s door from below. “Can you tilt it?” he asked, and Erwin switched his grip quickly, getting both hands on the unruly box to maneuver its front corner off the table. “The other way,” Levi corrected, and Erwin eased the whole thing down, rubbing his palms on his pajama bottoms and exhaling a long breath before trying again. This time he didn’t grunt as he moved the safe, but the tendons stood out on his forearms, muscles bulging as they strained.

“Good,” Levi commented, ducking and weaving under Erwin and the table until he found the right place to squat below. He could see now, and reaching was easier too, but it would still be tricky work. The occasional bob as Erwin’s grip shifted made it harder to prod the rust away from the delicate wire he was working on freeing. Still, he was glad for the help.

“It’s a lot heavier than I thought,” Erwin remarked from above. “I forgot. It’s been on the table so long. And it always looks easy when you lift it...”

“Huh,” Levi grunted, barely hearing, as he scraped a fine powder of rust from the wire, trying to get his tool to catch under it. A few more scrapes of metal on metal convinced him that it wasn’t working as well as he’d hoped, and he stood, extracting himself carefully from the table and Erwin’s legs. Still thinking about his approach, Levi stepped back over to where he’d set his tools. He needed something with a flatter tip, something he could lever under the stuck wire to pop it out. As Levi pulled out the top tray of his toolbox, searching for his favorite screwdriver, he heard a sharp intake of breath and a bang.

“Shit- ow!”

“What’s wr-” Levi started. He looked up. Erwin pulled his hand away from the safe door as though he’d been burnt, narrowly missing getting his fingers caught as it smacked closed with a bang.

Levi froze.

“Damn thing slipped,” Erwin explained, “and something sharp- I must have…”

A bolt went down Levi’s spine, its electric tingle setting him on edge. His eyes widened. Something had happened- something that he hoped wouldn’t- but a prickling sixth sense told him it already had-

Erwin sucked air in through his teeth, grimacing as he clutched his hand. 

And as beads of blood welled up, wet rubies lacing a long trace from thumb to palm, the scent rooted him to the spot. Its power was immediate. Tangy, thick- he couldn’t help but sniff the air. It lit up his senses. Red, dark, his eyes focused on the light shining off a drip forming on skin. It looked so large, so close, as though it were inches from his face. Its edges so perfectly clear, it grew, in slow motion, Levi’s heart speeding as it ate up more of his vision. Permeating his nose, its delicious odor irresistible, Levi felt his mouth begin to water.

It smelled so fucking good.

So good it made his teeth ache, made his gums itch, as Levi licked the sharp points of fangs that had already formed.

The smell had awakened his instinct,

his hunger,

his need.

And before he could think Levi had moved.

He closed the distance between Erwin and himself. On him in an instant, crowding him as Erwin stepped backward, leaving him pinned against the table. Levi’s hand shot out. Thin fingers brushed cotton, then clamped shut on Erwin’s undershirt- pulling him close, dragging him down. His other hand wrapped around Erwin’s wrist, wrenching the injured palm up to Levi’s face.

Inches from his eyes. Inches from his nose. Inches from his watering mouth. The blood had already smeared. Red. Bright. The line of the cut oozed slow pearls as blood feathered in the creases of Erwin’s hand.

God, it smelled so fucking good.

Levi let out a shuddering breath. His heart was hammering. His head was full of the scent: blood. His hunger was urgent, and insistent, and _ancient_. Licking his lips, feeling the sharpness of his fangs against his tongue, Levi looked up-

Fear flashed in blue eyes, handsome features rigid in shock. “L-Levi?” Erwin faltered.

-and Levi returned to himself all at once. He let go of Erwin’s shirt, dropped his hand. Taking a stumbling step back, he swore. “Shit. Fuck. Shitfuck.”

“Levi?”

Still backing up, Levi waved Erwin away with both arms. “Shit. I’m sorry. Fuck. I have to go,” he stammered. His heart wouldn’t stop pounding. And he’d fucked up. He’d almost- and now Erwin- his feet were a confused mess. It wasn’t possible to get out of the dining room quickly enough. His back hit the door frame hard. “Shit,” he hissed, turning around, fleeing.

He ran down the hallway, not hearing whatever Erwin called after him, putting as much distance between himself and the man’s cursed blood as he could. He barreled past a side room and into the kitchen, feet beating his wild pulse out on the stone floor. Throwing the door open, he rushed outside, not stopping until he heard the screen door clack shut behind him.

Under the steady beat of autumn rain, Levi leaned over. Staring down at wet gravel, knuckles gripped white on his knees, he could finally breathe. He pulled air into his lungs, legs shaking, the hunger fading from his mind and senses. With each cold drop landing on his head, on the back of his neck, running under the collar of his wool coat, and dripping from the ends of his bangs, he was more able to think clearly.

Blood. Erwin’s blood. Erwin’s blood had smelled so good. So fucking good. Like-

Like nothing ever before.

As his brain caught up to his body, Levi wondered over it. Erwin’s blood- it smelled incredible. Tangy, sharp, savory, it had an almost electric quality. It had made him hungry. So hungry he felt crazy, so hungry he’d lost control. The scent was indescribable. Evocative of all the best aspects of human blood, almost like it held something additional he couldn’t name. But that made no sense. Erwin was just another human. He’d smelled human blood before, many times. Humans bled. Everywhere, all the time, it was almost hard to avoid. Minor scrapes, paper-cuts, even hickeys and menstruating women all smelled of it. He was used to the scent of human blood, almost annoyed by it at this point. It made him a little hungry, but it was never anything like this. He’d never slipped like this.

And it was terrifying.


	6. Full Corn Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erwin puts two and two together and begins delving into a branch of magic he's... less familiar with.

Levi had run. And Erwin hadn’t stopped him.

It was a simple observation at first. Eclipsed by a hundred realizations, all chattering in his brain at once as he jumped from one to the next in increasing awe, and Erwin had let it slip by. Levi had grabbed him. Something had happened- when he cut himself on a sharp piece of metal from the safe’s door. That’s what had set it off. Levi had sensed it, even before Erwin knew, and the way he’d moved- it was faster than Erwin had ever seen a man go. The strength in Levi’s grip, the wild look of hunger in deep, blown-out pupils, they’d scared him for a moment. And the twin flashes of white visible between barely parted lips as Levi breathed deep, fixated on blood seeping from the throbbing cut in his palm- that was what had made Erwin put it all together.

Levi’s sudden change in demeanor had been caused by his blood.

Levi was attracted to it, hungry for it, even.

Levi was a vampire.

There was no other possible explanation. Everything made sense. It all fell into place, new pieces of evidence fitting neatly together even days later as he ticked them off. The preference for working at night. The long history of the family business. The oldest house in town. The absence of records- not a single birth or death in the Ackerman family. Of course Levi shared his initials with Captain L. Ackerman whose home was built in 1700. Levi _was_ Captain L. Ackerman, and _his_ home had been built in 1700. Even the large orders of fish checked out after a little research. As Erwin learned from a cursory internet search, among many animals, blood was blood. Despite some variations in red blood cell count and structure, it all served the same purpose, and fresh blood from raw fish likely contained all the same nutrients as human blood.

But as the days since he’d last seen Levi turned into a week and then two, the satisfaction of having solved the mystery faded. He tried to distract himself with work, but without Levi’s regular visits it became increasingly difficult to focus. The world’s problems could wait for once, because Erwin had his own.

The man he’d been steadily trying to get to know had slipped away. He’d been chased off, in fact, by Erwin’s bumbling mistake. And the more times he thought absently about Levi, the more times he paced past the dining room and saw the safe sitting lonely and broken on the table, the more his misgivings grew from a hint to a whisper. It had something to do with Levi’s frigid hands, the large wool coat he was always bundled in, and the brief look of relief that had lit his features when he’d taken that first sip of tea.

Like all vampires, Levi must be undead. He should be used to his body being cold.

But that didn’t mean he enjoyed it.

When Levi had run, Erwin hadn’t stopped him.

And now he wasn’t answering his calls either.

Erwin left messages. He told Levi that he still had his toolbox. He offered that Levi was welcome to come pick it up whenever he liked. He even brought up the matter of the safe- still only half-fixed. But after Erwin had called five times, the sixth went straight to voicemail, and Erwin worried that his number had been blocked.

The rejection stung, but not nearly as much as his own sense of guilt. He’d been the one who kept pushing Levi, kept digging into the other man’s past, kept insisting he come into his home to work when the job could have been done more easily and quickly at the locksmith’s shop. He hadn’t even needed the safe opened, not really, and he hadn’t even thought to try finding anyone else to finish the job Levi started. He’d just been making excuses to spend more time with the man, and he’d planned to keep doing it until it went somewhere. He’d put Levi into this whole situation to begin with, all because of his damn curiosity and his damn boner.

As he stared at his phone, unsure whether to call a seventh time or to send a text, Erwin realized that he was serious about this. He knew who Levi was- no, _what_ he was, and he still wanted to see him again. The prospect of being bitten didn’t frighten him, neither did Levi’s hunger, or speed, or strength. In fact, the pleasant clench and the glimmer of warmth in his abdomen at the thought felt more like excitement.

His old plan to find out more about Levi was no longer necessary. He’d learned everything he’d wanted to know. Now it was time to put that knowledge to use. It was time for a new plan: one that would prove to Levi that he meant no harm, that he wasn’t afraid, and that he was no ordinary man.

* * *

The task of blood augmentation wasn’t one Erwin had ever given much thought to. He’d investigated medicines plenty of times in the past, but the most recent attempt that had stocked his cabinets with baking soda and left permanent damage in the prized Persian rug had made him warier than usual. That, and his main workspace was still occupied by neatly arranged, carefully cleaned antique lock parts. The literature on vampires was also strikingly lacking in peer-reviewed studies outside of fields like literature and folklore, and Erwin found himself relying on accounts that were either analyzing aspects he had no interest in, or were dubiously factual at best. Publications on blood, however, were an entirely different thing. There the problem was too much information, and wading through it all to glean the few gems that could help him.

Somewhere in the middle of his search Erwin began clicking into websites and forums he hadn’t expected to see. Message boards centered around the occult, out of date New Age webpages clearly written by a single, eccentric author, and a surprising number of advertisements for alternative therapies began popping up in his results. It wasn’t territory Erwin was strictly comfortable with. He liked more concrete subjects. He craved primary sources. All of these things felt too fluffy, too nebulous to contain useful information, but as Erwin kept searching he kept finding, and in the face of few options, he simply kept going. Vampires weren’t particularly scientific, Erwin reasoned, but he’d met one anyway, and maybe that led some credence to all the rest of it. Deciding any lead was worth pursuit, on a gusty Wednesday afternoon, Erwin took the once-hourly commuter rail a few stops down the line.

The train put Erwin a few blocks from the center of the town he’d come to visit, but already there were plenty of pedestrians and cars. It was a bigger town, busier, and the black pointy hat on a woman caught his attention, immediately reassuring him that he’d find what he needed. Erwin had heard that the month of October was hectic here, and he knew the history that drew visitors just like anyone else, but he hadn’t known what to expect. Even in the middle of the week there were tourists- matching goth couples, pimply teenagers in costumes, fashionable groups sipping pumpkin spice coffees, and entire families rambling down the sidewalks eating, photo-taking, shopping, and gawking their way through the historic streets and avenues. Every parked car seemed to have an out of state license plate, and as Erwin passed another gaggle of witch’s hats and what was probably the third store advertising psychic readings and selling housewares with moon charts printed on them, the reality of it all began to sink in.

So many towns in this part of the country held onto their history. But they kept it out of sight, only hinting at it with subtle little plaques on homes and the odd historical marker. They took pride in it but didn’t like to show off either, and you might never know you lived on the same block as a famous author who wrote three hundred years ago, or down the street from an important museum-quality collection of glass botanical models. But some places the ever-present undercurrents of the past spilled over, uncontained. Where it did, people flocked to it. They wanted to learn. The early colonists, the witch trials, the public hangings, and the ghost stories and strange happenings that lingered in such places- they wanted to be a part of it. People came here to feel the spirit of autumn, of Halloween, of magic, even- all through the lens of events that had really occurred.

The realization amazed Erwin. The streets were no longer just streets, the buildings no longer just buildings. Instead, they were the past, come to life. He walked down the same cobbles as generations of others had before, as though in a daze. Between buildings repurposed too many times to count, preserved by virtue of their usefulness alone, he gazed up at the cloudy sky. Never had he felt so acutely close to history before, never had the things he avidly studied felt so tangible. The excitement of the season, the place, the crowd all added up to more than a simple sum, and it was like he was seeing it, breathing it, living the past all around himself. Not even the thick layer of commercialism was enough to spoil the giddiness that rose in his chest. He was here, surrounded by other people, all of them trying to capture the feeling of this place. Erwin felt sure that if he could find what he needed anywhere, it was right here.

The first shop Erwin squeezed into did not disappoint. Bundles of dried white sage and pinon pine hung, the scent of incense thick in the air. Dimly lit, with a low ceiling, the store’s closeness and clutter kept his eyes dancing from one spot to the next. As he edged around a couple his toe hit a basket on the floor, and Erwin backed up quickly, stopping when he felt something press against his shoulders. He turned, almost knocking over a coat stand decorated in bleached animal skulls, setting the bones chattering. Slowly reaching out, he steadied the coat rack, hoping no one had witnessed the gaffe. A quick look around confirmed that no one had- the other customers were too busy smelling candles and squinting at evil eye talismans to notice.

Taking a more measured pace, Erwin let himself be moved around the small store by the traffic of other bodies. He glanced over the titles of some books, and ignored a display of soaps. A table with bins of stones and crystals caught his eye, and Erwin bent over them to read the small signs. He plucked up a few of the polished rocks from a bin marked ‘Rhodonite’, turning the marbled pink and black stones over.

“We’ve got plastic bags for them, too,” a man spoke, and Erwin looked over to see a bored-looking young man with a long face pointing.

“Oh, good,” he replied, quickly filling a small bag with the stones.

“Uh, wow, okay.” The younger man’s eyes widened. “Is there anything else you’re looking for?”

“Yes. Tourmaline, hematite, and bloodstone.”

The shop employee raised an eyebrow, but looked over the bins and pointed at one, digging through a mixed selection of rocks in a second and picking out a few dark green stones. “We’ve got plenty of hematite. Bloodstone is in this mix- the ones with the bits of red. See?” He held one up, and Erwin noticed fine threads across its surface, like veins travelling through the rock. “What’re you using all of these for?”

Erwin paused. He wasn’t in the habit of candidly discussing magic. “A, uh, spell,” he said, keeping his tone casual as he sped past the clipped explanation.

“Yeah. Figured,” the shop man agreed with a shrug, as though it was something he heard at least five times a day. “We don’t sell tourmaline in bulk. But I think there’s at least one crystal in the case by the counter. Still interested?”

“Sure. I’ll take a look.”

“Okay. Whenever you’re set with everything else just come on over.”

With the young man gone, Erwin went back to looking through the stones. He filled another small bag with hematite, hefting it in his palm. As far as he could tell it wasn’t the size or shape of the rocks that mattered. He wasn’t even concerned with choosing ones that looked nice. The weight was all he cared about, and it made it much easier to mechanically sift through the mix and pick out every single bloodstone without a second thought. That task finished, he headed to the back of the shop.

“Where are your spell candles?” he asked the same man who’d helped before.

“You looking for anything in particular?”

“Well…” Erwin trailed off, wondering how to phrase it. “…health?” he asked eventually. The long-faced man paused, thinking, then leaned closer to him.

“Like… allergies? Your grannie’s health? Or…?”

“I don’t know,” Erwin admitted. “Health. Heart health? Blood- or, vigor? Stamina?”

“Oooh.” A smug look tugged the side of the man’s mouth up. “That kind of health. Gotcha.” He crooked a finger, and led Erwin to a shelf in the corner. From a row of oddly-shaped candles he quickly selected a bright red one, and handed it to Erwin. “That’s what you need.”

Staring at the candle he’d been given, Erwin immediately recognized what it was supposed to be. Molded in the likeness of an angry red phallus, the solid wax sat heavy in his hands. He opened his mouth, then closed it, the little white end of the candle’s wick sticking up from the penis’ head putting him at a loss for words. “It’s- a dick.”

“Obviously,” the man answered. “Manly vigor. _Stamina._ ” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. “Don’t get the black ones.”

“Why’s that?”

“They’re for the opposite. Cursing someone’s boner. Not what you want.”

“Definitely not,” Erwin agreed, still a little bemused.

In the end he bought three, and the tourmaline.

The second stop on Erwin’s trip was just off the town common. He walked a few streets over to reach the open green, taking in the colors of the trees planted in a neat row along its edge. Yellows and browns festooned their branches, curled and crisp already collected by their bases. The occasional gust sent them skittering over the haphazard crisscross of straight paths dividing the park space. Collecting at their edges, shushing piles forming where pavement met grass, the leaves waited until someone- usually human or canine, stirred them up again. An acorn crunched under Erwin’s shoe as he neared a statue of a pilgrim, high hat and wind-blown cape cutting a dramatic figure on the corner.

A spice shop he’d located online had its address just down a side street, and Erwin turned at the landmark of the statue. On a narrow road meant for one-way traffic, tightly packed colonial buildings hugged the sidewalk. Its bricks sloped, settled with age. It gave his walk a gently rolling feel, and Erwin spotted the place he’d been looking for not more than a few hundred feet away.

Not nearly as atmospheric or eye-catching, the unassuming storefront led him into a clean, if small, room. Open shelves lined the walls and made small aisles in the middle of the shop. On them sat spices already portioned into bags, arranged alphabetically. Starting at the beginning, rapidly skipping a few rows, and then finding more likely candidates in a different aisle altogether, Erwin set to looking. He moved easily through the few rows, the only person in the store other than a middle-aged woman by the cash register. Passing through a section of blends, Erwin picked up mulling spice on a whim, and chuckled over a mixture marked ‘David Bowie’s Spice Oddity’. Despite the eclectic mix of ingredients on his list, Erwin was able to gather up the things he needed with minimal effort. Avoiding impulse purchases proved to be the more difficult task, and he found more than one pun amongst the labels that tested his resolve.

Leaving the store, Erwin only got half a block before another shop on the left caught his eye. It was a small place, crowded up right next to the sidewalk and perched precariously on the corner. The unassuming brick façade had done little to catch his attention, but what did were the large picture windows made up of many small panes showing glimpses of shelves and jars within. A sign hung over the door said something about “TEA” and it instantly reminded him of why he had come to this town in the first place: Levi. It was one of the only things Erwin knew for sure about the man- he liked tea. At least he had accepted the cup Erwin had prepared. The memory of him sipping it, a rare look of contentment settling on his fine features, made Erwin hope that tea might be a fitting thing to offer again. The thought was enough to get Erwin to duck inside and it was only sweetened further by the additional promise of a warm drink on a chilly day.

The store’s interior was small but clean, with barely enough room for two counters and just as many tables and chairs. Its high ceiling gave the illusion of space, promptly filled by white shelves reaching all the way up, lined with large glass jars. The few patrons were crowded in front of a case of muffins and cookies, trying to decide what to eat with the cup of tea they planned to buy, but the second counter was totally open. A petite, red-haired woman looked up from her work of weighing curled loose leaves into a tin, and smiled at him.

“May I help you?” She chimed.

“Ah,” Erwin paused, looking between the two counters, unsure which to approach.

“If you’re just getting a drink to go you can check out there,” the woman supplied, pointing to the other counter with its register where a woman was finally giving her order to the cashier. “But if you want tea leaves I can help you with that.”

Nodding, Erwin approached the counter. He stood quietly for a moment, letting the lady finish tapping a few extra spoonfuls of tea into the tin she was already working on. Eyes roving over the jars full of dried leaves and herbs he read any label he could see. ‘Russian Samovar’, ‘Gyokuro Jade Dew’, ‘Bellini’, ‘Cleopatra’, the jars proclaimed, ranging from weighty layers of densely-packed, dark curls to colorful mixtures of dried petals sprinkled among shreds of leaf. “What are you looking for today?” The woman’s voice brought Erwin’s eyes back down as she affixed a label to the tin she had filled.

“I’m honestly not sure,” he admitted, adding, “I’m buying for a- friend?” The last word was hard to choose and came out a little strained, but the woman only raised an eyebrow and smiled.

“Does your friend prefer normal tea, or do they like herbal?”

“Definitely normal tea,” Erwin supplied, somehow unable to picture a man like Levi drinking anything but. 

“Black or green?”

“Black, I think,” Erwin guessed, then paused, an idea blinking into his brain. “Yes. Black. Do you have anything… old fashioned? This might sound corny, but something similar to the kind of tea people drank a few hundred years ago?”

“Oh, you mean like the colonists?” The woman nodded, her face lighting up. “Absolutely. We specialize in fine imports and pride ourselves on our historical location, so it’s only fitting. I’ve got a few options. Before the Revolution colonists were very into tea, though you usually couldn’t get anything as nice here as in Europe. I promise we only carry the good stuff, though, so you’ll get to feel a little 1700s luxury.”

“I see,” Erwin watched her pull two jars of plain-looking loose tea from the shelves and frown as she stood on tip-toes to try and reach a third. She was small, shorter even than Levi, and he itched to pull the jar down for her, but Erwin contained himself as she pulled a footstool out from under the counter and retrieved the final jar. Side by side the teas looked ordinary, no flower petals, no needles or herbs in their mixtures. Each jar was filled generously with the rolled and dried leaves, and their sensible appearance felt like the type of simplicity Levi might appreciate.

“Your _friend_ will be happy,” she commented, “the colonists drank lots of black tea. Have a sniff,” she offered, pulling the stainless steel lid off a jar and expertly turning it up, wafting the scent in Erwin’s direction. The tea’s ordinary appearance was immediately overshadowed by its scent, a wave of coppery malt, which had Erwin eagerly leaning forward to take it in. “That one’s got an Assam black tea in it. Very round in its flavor.” She opened another jar and waved its lid as Erwin caught a slightly different smell, this one nutty and subtle. “This is actually an Oolong, we usually say it’s got qualities of both green and black tea. We don’t carry the brick or cake type the colonists would have drunk, but this tastes much better anyway.” The explanations were more than Erwin needed. Little of the terminology made sense to him, but he trusted his nose as the third jar was opened.

Smoky, wine-like, and warm- Erwin’s eyes widened. The dark leaves had a distinct, full scent. He hadn’t known before he smelled it what he was looking for, but this was it and he could almost taste it. “That’s the one,” he said.

The woman nodded. “Good choice. This is Bohea tea. It’s definitely the most authentic to the time period you’re looking for, too. 1,586 chests of this very tea were destroyed in the Boston Tea Party.”

The tantalizing fact was just icing on the cake. “It’s perfect. He’ll love it,” Erwin agreed.

A flash of amusement glinted in the woman’s eyes as she turned away, replacing the other jars on the shelves behind. “I’m sure _he_ will. And how much would you like?”

“How about a bag that size?” Erwin pointed at one of the smaller bags by the counter, and the woman picked one up, opening it out.

“Absolutely. And would you like anything else? Maybe a complimentary cup of the brewed Bohea to take with you?”

“Yes, that too.”


	7. Worm Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi cleans, cleans more, cleans again until he can't really stand it, and then finally goes to the beach.

Ackerman Lockworks had peculiar seasonal hours. Barely open during the summer beach season when the ice cream shops, fried clam shacks, and trinket stores did the majority of their business, its lights came on earlier and stayed on later as the nights lengthened. After the time change, with everything shifted back an hour, its schedule still didn’t pass for respectable. Levi had never gotten complaints about it, though. He’d even found that the odd evening and weekend hours suited his customers. It wasn’t surprising that people were more comfortable inviting someone who could pick locks into their home when they already planned on being there. Lockouts, the other major part of his business, were usually after-work or late-night occurrences as well.

But for nearly three weeks, Ackerman Lockworks held no business hours at all.

When the phone rang in the empty store it went unanswered. No calls were returned. And the small seaside town had to sort themselves out of their forgetfulness, mistakes, and mundane messes as Levi Ackerman kept his business’ doors closed for the first time in years.

But this wasn’t a vacation. For the weeks after almost biting Erwin Smith, Levi did not leave his house. Instead, holed up with enough soap and vinegar to last a few lifetimes, he cleaned.

It had started the moment he’d set foot in the door, still shaking with nerves. With barely enough time to remove and hang his coat, to shuck off and fold his many layers of clothes, he’d stripped everything onto the bathroom floor. He’d showered, stepping in before the water could heat up, and waiting until it was scalding. Then he’d done it again. And again, until the water ran cold and he stood shivering under it anyway. Fingers leaving deep grooves in the bar of soap clutched in his hand, he couldn’t stop. Not until the soap had dissolved into a mere sliver, and slipped from his grip and down the drain.

Hands stiff, he turned off the icy water. He stepped out of the tub. Rubbing a towel over his naked body, he looked absently above the sink, at the blank, mirror-less wall. His cup and toothbrush were on the sink’s ledge, where he always kept them, and he found them by practiced touch alone. Toothpaste was on a small shelf. Nothing out of place, nothing he needed to think about to do, nothing that tore his eyes away from the blankness of the plain, white wall.

He set to brushing his teeth, while staring at all the nothing. The toothbrush moved, small practiced circles, brushing over the planes of his teeth. It didn’t catch on anything sharp, anything pointed, didn’t snag on elongated incisors. His fangs had retracted. He was sure of it. But it didn’t matter. It didn’t change the fact that Levi knew they were still there- hiding in his jaw, biding their time, waiting. If his focus slipped, if he stopped willing his mind as empty as the wall, it would be over. If he strayed, from the mechanical motion of brushing, it would come back to him: blood. The smell of Erwin’s blood. And the tingling in his gums at the forbidden thought was more than enough to make him brush harder, until he could no longer tell if the ache was from his hunger or his toothbrush.

Levi did not sleep that night, but in the day that followed he did not sleep either. He scrubbed the floor. Then scrubbed it again. He ignored the delivery of fish, too busy cleaning the rags he’d used on an old glass washboard before beginning a third round.

At 4:00 pm, Ackerman Lockworks did not open.

It didn’t open the next day either. Levi was too busy anyway. He was scrubbing the walls. Scrubbing the windows, inside and out. Pulling the screens off in the cold and scrubbing them too.

On the third day there was even more to do. He had no time to open the shop. Instead the baseboards were cleaned, and the trim over every door dusted. The air vents were wiped clear, and the grout in the bathroom was gone over painstakingly with an old toothbrush. His phone rang, and even buzzed a couple times, but Levi ignored that just as easily as the delivery of fish, and this time Levi wasn’t even sure whether it was still the third day of not when he next took a break.

The days blended together after that. Focused, almost manic, Levi was set on completing his imaginary tasks. Nothing stopped him- not the doorbell, not his supposed business, not even the occasional annoying ringing of his phone, though even that eventually went silent when its battery ran down. Levi did laundry. He washed clothes, he washed sheets, he washed towels, and finally linens. He hung everything up to dry outside in the dead of night, and took it down the next, stiff as a board and nearly frozen by the deepening frost. He did not go to work. He did not sleep. He did not eat.

Time meant nothing. Levi had lived long enough that he already knew that, and he slipped easily into it once again. Luckily there was always plenty to clean in an old house, but even a vampire needs food and rest, and exhaustion was starting to weigh on Levi. He was not hungry though. Or he would not be, could not be, he reminded himself, as he stirred white vinegar and warm water in a bucket, frowning into his empty kitchen cupboards. He’d used up almost everything he had to clean with. At least there was still vinegar. The kitchen already smelled like it. Everywhere did. Its acidic tang followed him as he moved through the house.

The smell didn’t bother Levi. He preferred it. It smelled clean. It didn’t make him hungry.

He wasn’t sure how many days had passed when the doorbell rang. It sounded far away, and Levi ignored it. He was waist-deep in a closet, on his knees, scrubbing away at a corner he’d only cleaned three times so far. The doorbell rang again, its chime bunching his shoulders, and Levi willfully pretended he hadn’t heard. In the silence that followed his muscles relaxed. He dipped his rag back into his bucket. He wrung it out, ready to keep cleaning, and-

Di-Di-Di-Diiiidididiiiiing

Whoever was ringing the doorbell was pushing it over and over, as quickly as they could, and Levi swore in frustration. Throwing the wet rag down with a slap, he stood and marched through the house to the front door as the bell kept ringing.

Swinging the door wide, he glared out onto his porch, not even caring when the cold air rushed in and the mid-morning sun hit him full blast in the face.

“What the fuck do you want?” he snapped, squinting up at the delivery man holding a Styrofoam container in one arm, his finger still poised over the doorbell.

“Oh,” the man responded, “someone _is_ home. I’ve got a delivery for Mr. Ackerman,” he added, hefting the box.

“I’m Mr. Ackerman,” Levi fumed.

“Then, I guess I’ve got a delivery for you?” the man said, again shifting the box’s weight. “Sorry, uh, you have to sign for it,” he apologized, and handed Levi a clipboard he’d balanced on top.

“What the?” Levi stared at the form. “Is this new? Are _you_ new? What the hell?”

“No, and yes,” the man responded as Levi _tsk_ ’ed disapprovingly at the form. “We only need the signature if there’s an… uh… irregularity in delivery.” As Levi handed back the signed paperwork, the delivery man cast a meaningful glance over the porch. A nod of his head took in the other eight styrofoam containers, identical to the one he held, placed around the porch, some stacked two-high.

Levi’s nose wrinkled, the smell of rotting fish finally reaching him through his protective haze of vinegar. With a deep sigh, Levi took the box the man held. “Ok. I get it. I signed the damn form, now get out of here. It’s not like I died or anything.”

The man shrugged. “Sorry about that. But, y’know- it happens.”

As the man turned and stepped off his porch, Levi held back a snort.

“Not to me, it doesn’t.”

~

The next afternoon, after the first fitful sleep he had allowed himself in weeks, Levi left his house for a second time. He was still tired as hell and his body felt like death warmed over, but that wasn’t enough to stop him from dragging his feet over to his car and sitting heavily down in the drivers’ seat. He rolled down the hill into town, the golden glow of the setting sun slipping lower as he descended. Brick buildings cut it into shadow, the pale blue of the rest of the sky beginning to darken at its edges. Pulling over to park on the main street a half block past his store, Levi turned off the car. His hand on the door latch, his eyes flicked over the rear-view mirror, and froze.

A glimmer of golden light, tinting the bricks warm, throwing long shadows past the parking meters, glinted off blond hair. A tall man- wide shoulders, dark jeans, and the unmistakable profile of a strong, straight nose- Erwin Smith stood in front of the door to his shop. As Levi watched, holding his breath, fingers hovering over the door latch, Erwin peered inside.

 _It’s closed_. Levi thought.

Erwin brought his hands up, cupping them around his eyes, pressing his face to the glass to see inside the dark storefront. He stayed like that while Levi counted long seconds. Then he leaned back, took a step away, and inspected the sign in the front window.

_Winter Hours: 4:00 pm – Midnight_

Levi snuck a look at his watch. It was 4:15. He had meant to open the store today. He had even made a half-decent attempt to get here on time. But Erwin was here, and as much as Levi wanted to get out of his car, to casually walk up and say something smart or snappy, he couldn’t. His mouth was too dry, his hands too shaky. He couldn’t bring himself to open his car door, or turn the key in the ignition, or even breathe properly.

For once in his very long life, Levi Ackerman did not know what to do. Erwin was trouble. He’d awakened something within Levi, something he couldn’t control. It was something terrible, something monstrous. But at the same time here Erwin was, milling around in front of Levi’s store, obviously hoping to come in, clearly looking for him. The man wasn’t stupid, Levi knew that much, but his behavior wasn’t sensible either. These thoughts tugging his sleepy brain in too many directions, Levi sat in the quiet car, unable to decide anything. So instead he watched, and waited, as Erwin re-read the sign, and shrugged, and paced a couple of times in front of the shop, and checked his watch, and finally walked off.

Only when he’d turned down a side street could Levi move. He peered out the back windshield, turning his body and craning his neck. There was no sign of Erwin. But he might come back, Levi reminded himself, and that meant opening the shop was out of the question. Turning the key in the ignition and feeling his car hum to life, Levi put both hands on the steering wheel. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes, and leaned forward- letting himself fall. His forehead hit the wheel with a dull thump, and when he opened his eyes he was staring down at the edge of the seat beneath his legs. He couldn’t just go back home, not after he’d finally gotten himself out. But he couldn’t go to work either, so where-

Levi sat back up, his jaw set in a determined line. He put the car into gear. Not even bothering to look both ways he pulled out, turning the car fully around in the narrow street. He didn’t drive back up the hill- not the way he had come. Instead he followed the main road, driving past local banks and a second-hand bookstore as the main street skirted the harbor. Rounding the inside of the bay, he kept to the right when the road split and hugged the water as it wended around. Stretches of docks and ramps into the ocean hid around the turns, coming into view in the bare spaces and thin alleys between buildings. He passed a dry storage yard, full of boats wrapped in white plastic, ghost ships preparing for winter.

Just past the neck, a thin peninsula of land stringing out down a side road into the harbor, the boats and buildings began to space themselves more generously. Warehouses and marine rails turned into cottages, even a few optimistic condos. Levi kept driving. Just past a small stretch of beach, a tranquil crescent of sand and water catching the last of the orange-tinted light, Levi turned right at a sign proclaiming ‘Private Property’ and pointedly ignored the intentions of the open metal gate. As dusk fell and the sky darkened, he drove slow past a few manicured lawns and gaudy estates, until the brief show of wealth quickly exhausted itself, overtaken by brush. The road was narrow, barely large enough for a single car, and Levi turned his headlights on out of habit, more for anyone coming the opposite direction than for himself.

Bumpier and windier, the road turned back and forth, meandering far enough from the coast that trees on one side and marsh scrub on the other obscured any views. The land was low here, almost on the level with the water, and all rock. With nothing to soak into, the water level rose and fell with the tide. The marshes and ponds filled, then emptied, water slipping away as easily as it came, leaving nothing but a film of salt. What thin soil was left the bushes and grasses held tight in their roots.

No one was on the road, and Levi drove in silence- only the white noise of his tires and the purr of his engine. The evening darkening around him, the bushes pressing in as their shadows overtook the road, he felt the last hints of sun-strain fade. Like a headache you don’t realize you have until it’s gone, its absence was normally a relief. But tonight Levi didn’t notice at all.

He knew the road was ending soon when the bushes and trees stopped first. Abruptly, the line of vegetation gave way, and a rocky outcrop rose up ahead. On the side of his approach long, dry grass covered the rise. Unkempt patches of it stuck up, huddling by the base of a chain link fence and continuing on its other side. The ground didn’t get far before it leveled, or tried to, and what looked like a long house had been stuck on top of it, its roof-lines and walls sagging slightly to match the slope. Just beyond the keeper’s quarters, its tower rising up, was a lighthouse.

Pulling into the small gravel parking lot, Levi cut the engine. He stepped out of his car, wrapping his coat tighter and buttoning a few more buttons. He walked to the chain-link fence. At it he paused, looking up at the buildings. Putting a hand on the cold wire, his eyes wandered to the tower. The lighthouse was closed now. It had been for years. Automated thirty years ago, its light blinked on and off by itself. But Levi remembered when it hadn’t. He remembered when there had been nothing here but rocks. He remembered when other, older lighthouses had guided his ship into port. He remembered when the lighthouse was first built, well after he’d stopped sailing, and he remembered when it was first lit. He remembered when the lamps were oil, and not electric. He remembered when it had been rebuilt, and rebuilt again, and when a painter had called it his home, and when the duty of its operation had finally fallen to the coast guard. It was still standing despite it all, rising into the dark. White walls, red roofs, the light at its top still blinking bright, still guiding.

Turning to walk along the fence, Levi followed it to a narrow footpath. A strip of worn dirt, with high grass leaning over it, he paced to its end, one hand tracing along the metal fence lattice as he went. When the path petered out, turning to pebbles and leading over boulders, he kept going. Past the new breakwater, with its clean cut granite and perfect angles, he kept going. He clambered over stones. The tide was out. The sun had set. All orange and gold gone from the sky, only a hint of rich purple clung to the horizon in the west. But Levi faced south, walking towards the water, the view open ocean before him. Nothing but water. Nothing but waves. Not a single smudge or shadow of land to be seen.

Levi stepped from rock to rock, avoiding the slippery dark of seaweed clinging to their sides. They grew smaller, lower, their tops further apart where they stood up above damp sand. The dry portions became scarce, then ended in a wavy line, marking the day’s tide. Beyond it the stony beach was dark, the surface of the rocks forever damp, leading him to the edge of the world. Belonging more to the sea than the land, water peeled back to reveal edges worn smooth over millennia, as Levi walked through the small space between two worlds. The soft mat of seaweed squished under the toe of his shoe, its sound swallowed by the shushing of waves. Mussels clung to a rock, and he gave them space, picking his footsteps out carefully. When he got to the line of the waves washing up, water rising around the soles of his shoes, the occasional splash hitting the bottoms of his jeans, Levi stopped. And he stood, shivering as the wind threw his bangs around his forehead, looking out at the dark endlessness of water.

He didn’t know why he’d come here, but it was a place he’d stood before. Many times, through many eras, and the view never changed. Looking out, to the south, there was no land in sight except what was under his feet. Taking a breath, he smelled the salt, the vegetal seaweed’s stink, iodine and sulfur. Uncovered to the coastal winds, the sea plants clung to the rocks, draping matted lengths of hair out over them, floating where the water washed them. Buoyed up as the waves rolled in, they rose, then strung out over the beach as they retreated. For all its strength, Levi didn’t envy the seaweed, anchored in one spot, tossed helplessly from side to side, at the mercy of the ocean.

But perhaps he was no different.

He’d given up a life of wandering, of adventure in faraway lands after it almost killed him. It _had_ killed him- taken everything from him. But he’d come back anyway, somehow, the sea guiding him to the shores of his birth in the way it guided all those who put their faith in it. Even without this lighthouse he’d found his way home. Though nothing kept him here, in this town. Nothing but habit, and hundreds of years. But he could leave, he thought, looking up at the night sky. He could break a time-worn habit like this. If he wanted to. If he tried.

The sky was clear. The wind was steady. Good weather for sailing.

The stars were already glimmering, icy and distant in the velvet dark. The thin colors of cold days, autumn’s glory faded to brown, were turned deeper with the coming of night. Pale blue, yellow, and frigid rosy tints that never quite looked white, the silent stars cast their glow as the ocean whispered all around. A single wisp of errant cloud stood out bright against the navy backdrop. It moved quickly, its edges stretching and morphing, shaped by the air high above as it streaked and smeared across the sky.

He could leave if he wanted to.

A sudden gust plucked the spray from the waves, droplets flecking Levi’s upturned face. They were cold and left salt on his skin. The cloud inched over the moon, lit eerily from behind by its pale glow.

He could leave. He didn’t even need a boat anymore. This time he could walk, just keep going. Into the ocean. Until the rocks ran out. Into the waves that never changed, forever and ever. And if he kept going, beyond that forever, if he kept walking until the water covered his ears and folded him into its cold embrace, maybe he could finally understand what the waves and the wind were whispering in their secret language. Maybe he should have done it long ago. Maybe he should have been listening.

Maybe that would be best for everyone.

Then he could stop pretending.

At the bottom of the ocean it wouldn’t matter if he was human, or if he had ever been, or if all that remained was a monster. Then he wouldn’t have to think about it anymore. He wouldn’t have to worry that someone might discover his secrets, that people would find out what he really was, that he would hurt someone.

Like he almost had. Levi felt his stomach clench, the memory of fear in Erwin’s blue eyes flashing before him. In the dark it blinded him, and he blinked quickly, trying to banish it, trying to swallow back the tightness in his throat. His shoulders bunched, shivering as his breath grew ragged. The shaking spread, from his shoulders to his arms, down to his fingers and hands. Taking hold of his core, it reached into his chest and gripped his lungs. Erwin’s face wouldn’t leave. Even here, where there was only space for air and water and stone. Even at the edge of another world where nothing mattered. It wouldn’t leave him alone. He couldn’t be rid of it by running.

Pulling in a lungful of air that stung with its sharpness, Levi heaved it right back out into the sky. His body shaking, the churning of his insides slowing, he looked back up at the moon hanging above. Its edges were blurred. He blinked, then wiped the back of a hand across his eyes. The moon’s circle had straightened. 

Levi licked his lips. He tasted salt.

With a sigh of longing, he looked out over the water. It hadn’t changed. It was still just as beautiful. It still drew him to it, the same way it had when his pulse was warm, his body mortal. Mysterious and wild, its secrets still as unknowable as they had always been. Waves danced, water sliding from peak to peak, light and shadow playing over their surface.

A vibrating buzz in his pocket made Levi’s brows pinch tight. He frowned. He shouldn’t have bothered charging it. A hundred years ago he would have been able to contemplate eternity in peace. A second sigh, this one of resignation, was accompanied by Levi digging his phone from his pocket. With a look of disgust he gripped its middle, pulling his right arm back as he stepped forward with his left foot. Arm coming up, bending by his shoulder, Levi put the force of his whole side into the motion, getting ready to lob the interrupting lump of plastic into the ocean. Just as his elbow started to straighten, his back heel coming off the ground-

The phone buzzed again.

“Fuck!” Levi swore, his fingers going slack out of surprise. The phone dropped from his hand, and he grabbed for it on instinct. Splashing awkwardly, he fumbled it for a second, leaning down to catch it only a foot above an incoming wave. “Fucking fucker. Stupid piece of shit,” Levi swore, turning the phone over and scowling at its screen. Two new messages and almost a dozen older ones. Six missed calls. He flicked his phone on. They were all from Erwin Smith.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Levi grumbled. He stared at his phone, finger hovering over it, the messages still unread. “You’ve got to be kidding…” he repeated, trailing off as he stared. The phone’s light held steady in his palm, his hand no longer shaking. The texts and phone calls were scattered, all over the last three weeks. A wave rolled in, higher than the last, soaking his jeans halfway up his shins and leaving his socks and shoes soggy. It spat droplets over the phone screen, and still he stared.

He had tried to attack Erwin. There had been fear- that much was unmistakable. But Erwin kept texting him, kept calling him. He had been for weeks. Levi dimly remembered back through his cleaning frenzy. Every time he thought he’d heard the phone’s last ring, its last buzzing complaint, that it had been too long since the last time, he had heard a new one. He checked through them now, reading them one by one. They were simple. Stupid stuff. Normal things. Like nothing had happened. They were brief messages, just asking about whether he’d be coming over to work on the safe, hoping he wasn’t ill, nothing important. And today, Erwin had been trying to visit the store.

For some reason, Erwin wouldn’t give up.

And that was different.

Erwin was different.

Maybe.

Levi shoved his phone back into his pocket. He was done with this pity party. He was done feeling sorry for himself. The moment had passed, like the changing of the tide. Levi had gotten too used to pretending, of trying to trick himself into thinking he was human, of hiding, of holding people at arm’s length. But Erwin would not be pushed away, not like the others, and Levi had to accept that. He wasn’t ready yet. But he had to be, or he had to make himself ready, he realized, and walking into the ocean would be doing the exact opposite.

He was tired. Of lies, of hiding, of living half a life.

And he was hungry.

Very hungry, he realized with a wince as his stomach twisted and gurgled loudly. Before another, larger wave could come in and soak him more, Levi turned on his heel. He walked back up the beach, away from the water, each step surer than the last. If he changed his mind the ocean would always be there, just as it always had been. But Levi knew he wouldn’t be changing his mind.

He needed to know why Erwin Smith was like this- why his blood smelled so good, why he was different. And for the first time in a long time, Levi actually wanted something.


	8. Hunter's Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erwin works on his potions skills, purchases the final artifact he's been searching for, and finally puts his plan to get Levi's attention into motion.

Mixing potions was much harder than he thought it would be, Erwin decided after the third attempt he’d dumped down the drain. He’d had to take a bathroom break in the middle of the three-hour recipe, and when he’d come back one of the red penis candles had gone out, and the bubbling brew was already starting to film over and smell like burnt rubber. Used to having a set of directions and all kinds of instruments to measure temperature and time, adjusting to this more subtle art was difficult. The smell mattered, the color and consistency, and Erwin wasn’t used to being so- analogue. But this time he was sure the experiment would be a success. He’d arranged the crystals just so. None of the candles had gone out. He’d said the incantation backwards and forwards at the right cadence, the hum and rolling tone of the magic he’d failed to coax out three times before guiding him through it.

Lifting the wooden spoon from the simmering dutch oven and bringing it close to his mouth, Erwin gently blew the rising steam away. The potion smelled good this time, and looked good too. A little thinner than he’d expected, and somewhat more purple than he’d envisioned, it still seemed like something he’d be able to drink without gagging. Erwin peered down into the spoon, wondering if the liquid had cooled enough to try. He brought it up to his lips- then paused.

The last recipe had made him pass out. He’d woken up on the floor with a raging headache and felt hungover for a day. The one before had done nothing at all, or he’d thought so until he’d gotten a paper-cut and had to hold a rag over it for hours. It had made him bleed, and the blood hadn’t stopped, his platelets failing to clot it for almost three hours. Taking a deep breath, Erwin reminded himself that those experiments hadn’t been failures- they’d been opportunities to learn. He’d read more. He’d developed a few new techniques. He’d sought out some additional ingredients and equipment, and more than anything else he’d kept practicing. This time it would work, at least that’s what he hoped.

Steeling himself, Erwin took a sip. The potion was warm, but not scalding. Its flavor sickly sweet, he swallowed the mouthful down, licking his lips. Erwin stood still in the kitchen, in front of the still-warm range, waiting. This time he didn’t have to wait long. He felt something almost immediately- his body heating up. Starting at his groin it spread, pleasant at first as it evoked a flash of arousal that made his thighs clench and his breath catch. The sensation subsided quickly. Or he thought it had, until Erwin caught a second wave, this one stronger. His cock twitched in his pants, his palm growing warm where he gripped the spoon.

Little quakes and shivers followed, each making him more aware of his body. He kept getting warmer, hotter even, he realized as he shrugged off his sweater onto the kitchen floor. Even in his undershirt he was still panting. His jeans felt like too much- too heavy, too restrictive. He looked down, wondering how they’d gotten so tight so quick, and Erwin groaned at the sight of the obvious bulge in his pants. He definitely couldn’t deny it now- the potion had made him horny as hell.

“This did not work the way I expected,” Erwin admitted. His jeans were starting to bother him, the denim forcing his growing erection awkwardly down one leg of his pants. “Dammit,” he grumbled, slapping the spoon back down on the range and turning the burner off as he reached into his waistband, trying to adjust himself. He strained, twisting to the side and hopping a little, before realizing he could just take his belt off and unzip everything.

Thinking better about undressing in the kitchen and badly wanting to take care of his growing problem, Erwin half-jogged, half-shuffled into the great room and down the hall. His fingers rushed and clumsy, he undid his belt buckle, letting it flop open. The button of his jeans was easier to deal with and he pulled his fly down as he went, bounding up the stairs two at a time. The exertion had him huffing, or maybe it was the effects of the potion. Either way he kept getting more and more uncomfortable, his brow prickling with sweat as he raced toward his bedroom.

Hot, sensitive, the light brush of his cotton undershirt against his chest as he breathed was enough to make him shiver. By the time he stumbled into the master bathroom he’d hastily pulled the shirt up, trying to take it off and getting caught with only one arm out. It was good enough. At least now he couldn’t feel the fabric rubbing his over-sensitive nipples. That taken care of, he pushed his pants down to his knees. His boxer briefs followed, and his cock finally swung free. A moan of relief slipped between his lips, and Erwin grabbed at the length of his cock. It felt good. Incredibly good. Good enough that Erwin didn’t bother to use anything but his hand. He tugged at his cock in long, rough strokes, all focus immediately channeled into jerking off as quickly as possible.

Erwin was ridiculously horny. He couldn’t remember the last time his desires had been this urgent. As his hand moved faster, his mouth fell open. His thighs tensed, his hips pumping on their own. The heat in his groin was everywhere in his body. Burning, tingling, spreading pleasure through him. He fucked into his hand, going at it hard, not caring that it might chafe later. The feeling was worth it, and he chased it, his other hand wandering up his bare chest until his fingers found his nipple. Pinching the firm nub, a quiver of excitement jolting him, Erwin’s head fell back. A long groan, punctuated by the increasingly wet sound of his hand moving on his cock traveled up to the ceiling. Joined by hot breaths, every exhale labored, it hung there, collecting just like the tension in Erwin’s body, growing, and spreading, and filling him and the room until there was space for nothing else.

Just as he thought he couldn’t get any hotter, a vision came unbidden. Levi’s hair, its short shadow dark on the pale skin of his neck. Erwin’s grip on his cock tightened. He could just picture it- Levi’s strong, thin fingers, in place of his. Wrapped around his cock, stroking it, his hands so much smaller. Erwin closed his eyes, giving in to the fantasy. Levi kneeling on the floor in front of him. Levi guiding his cock into his mouth. Levi’s lips wrapped around him, his cheek pushing out as dark bangs swayed with each bob of his head.

His hand frantic now, stroking quicker than his hips could move, Erwin let the vision drive him. He could see it. He could almost feel it. Faster than he’d thought possible, the throbbing in his cock signaled his climax. With a guttural sound Erwin came, not caring as warm cum spurted across the tile floor and dribbled over his fingers. The pounding beat of pleasure, the thought of Levi swallowing it down and licking it from him, were more than enough to transport him to another plane.

When Erwin floated back to earth he looked down at himself. He took everything in with a practiced kind of interest; observing the facts of the experiment’s results. Half-naked, tangled in his own shirt, his jeans wrapped around his ankles, and his hand covered in rapidly-cooling cum, he was in a state. He felt satisfied, but in a jittery, almost exhausted way. Like all his adrenaline had been spent at once, leaving him deflated and tired. Erwin tried to step out of his pants and staggered, arms waving for a second as he regained his balance. He had to tug the stubborn garment from his leaden feet. His underwear was easier, but finally pulling his shirt off properly made Erwin feel like a fool.

“Well, that’s what that one does, then,” he mused, shuffling over to the tub. “Definitely effects the blood. Sends it all straight to the cock, apparently.” As he turned on the shower and stepped in, Erwin continued talking to himself. “It’s not really what I was going for, but I’ll document it anyway. Might come in handy someday. There were good aspects…” he trailed off, the images of Levi coming back into focus and making a little aftershock travel through his legs. “…but the fatigue isn’t great. If that’s what I was going for… well, ideally it would last more than one round, at least. Maybe I should use fewer of those dong candles…”

* * *

A few days later Erwin took a break from potions. He’d made great progress. The things he cooked up were increasingly appetizing in texture and flavor, and the side effects were becoming less serious. He hadn’t quite succeeded, but he felt it was time to start work on the other parts of his plan. He needed to get back into contact with Levi, needed to attract him, to show him that he not only knew his secret but prove to him that it wouldn’t get in the way of whatever had been growing between them. What he needed was a display of magic, and Erwin had just the one in mind.

On a quiet weekday afternoon Erwin drove south from the cape. He passed over the large bridge, taking the highway that cut the rocks in half and wound through the forest. The leaves were almost done falling, leaving branches bare and skeletal. They littered the ground, turning it brown, their colors washed out by cold and wind. It would have been boring, dead-looking, if it weren’t for the pine trees and dark stones. During the other seasons they faded into the background much like the rocks. But once autumn’s brief blaze of color faded, the pine trees soldiered on. Providing much-needed contrast to the landscape, they stood in silent attention as he drove down the quiet highway.

Erwin soon pulled off, finding his way back toward the coast on a smaller road. Given nothing more than a forgettable number to mark it, the road meandered lower into marshland. The forest thinned and patches opened between the trees. Tall grasses swayed where no trees or bushes grew, tufts drying and yellowing. As he entered the outskirts of town, marked only by the infrequent houses becoming occasional, the level of the road lowered further. Erwin knew he was driving towards a river- the slow, shallow kind fed by the ocean. The town had grown up around it, little more than a few docks and jetties taking advantage of the path it made to the sea. Now it boasted a whole three restaurants, a liquor store, a place to rent kayaks, and an outsized number of antique dealers.

That was what he had come for. Driving into the center of town took no time at all, but Erwin passed the gas station and the small crossroads in favor of continuing a little ways over the river. Wide and lazy, its fingers reaching under a series of small bridges, the mud of the tidal flats marked the water’s bed. The road was barely high enough to be out of the marsh, and houses and shops clung to its edge. Like the muddy banks of the river, perched precariously, they looked like they could be washed away at any moment. That they had stood in the same location, some for hundreds of years, was incredible to Erwin.

Just before the town petered out, Erwin parked by the last stretch of sidewalk and got out of his car. He’d driven too far on purpose, wanting to take a scenic walk and enjoy what little daylight remained. The air was cold, invigorating as Erwin took a deep breath to smell the salt. The tidal flats weren’t as stinky as the ocean at low tide, and they had their own scent to them. Loamy, salty, Erwin enjoyed the hints of the sea as he walked down the sidewalk, pausing between clapboard buildings to gaze at the lowlands.

The views of the marsh stretched out behind a single row of buildings. Much like water, a sea of grass reached into the distance. As it stretched out it formed a flat plain, almost unnatural in how even and regular was its level of gently-swaying stalks. But Erwin knew that was an illusion. If he looked closer he could see it breaking down. The marsh was not one plain, but many. Or one plain cut in many ways- the river’s tributaries and winding streams dug innumerable paths through the mud. Erwin walked by one such place, stopping to wonder over the straight banks of the tidal flat. Here the plain’s lower level was revealed, left bare and dark mere feet below the level of the grasses. Water had eroded the land, sweeping it away with each tide, leaving perfectly vertical walls, dotted with snails and tangled with roots. Errant strands of grass leaned over the walls, pushed to the edges and nearly tumbling.

Erwin wondered for a moment how it all didn’t just fall in: grass, houses, and road, as he considered the tidal nature of the entire town and wandered down the street. A truck passed, frighteningly close on the narrow road. The engine noise and blast of exhaust that ruffled Erwin’s hair snapped him out of idle musing, and Erwin picked up his pace. He settled for enjoying the view of the marsh in quick glances out of the corner of his eye as he walked through the small town.

One of the restaurants was closed for the season. So was the kayak rental, its many-tiered trailer bare where it sat in the tiny parking lot. Cold weather made the quiet town even quieter, and Erwin wondered what people here did during the coming winter. The church at the center of town showed signs of life at least- a printed poster stuck in the front lawn advertised an upcoming blood drive. Sneaking another glance to the side, peering into the few-foot gap between houses, Erwin took another look at the marsh. He almost felt bad, preferring the ripple of the dried sea of golden grasses to the town’s meager attempts at civilization. The grasses waved with a soft shushing. Heavy seed-heads bowed and swayed. _Waves, and waves, and waves,_ Erwin thought, wandering absently down the sidewalk.

He crossed the road when he spotted a familiar sign reading ‘Antiques’. He’d almost missed it among the jumble of things strewn over a postage stamp’s worth of yard. Aging farm equipment and artfully arranged wicker furniture crowded the lawn in front of a small two-story house set just back from the main road. The place certainly looked the part- weathered wood and ancient flaking paint covered its face. Erwin opened the door, and stepped into the front room of the converted house.

He’d been in once before, but Erwin was still charmed by the inside of the shop revealed when the brass bell tinkled. Set up just like a normal, though exceptionally cluttered, home, everything inside was for sale. He would have loved to browse, examining the details on the antique furniture, wandering through the different rooms of the house’s ever-changing stock. But Erwin was on a mission, and he headed to the back of the house, where he already knew he could find the proprietor.

“Hello?” Erwin heard a man’s voice call, and he responded to it with a friendly ‘Hello’ of his own. He found the man it belonged to a moment later, as he stepped into a hallway and the owner poked his bald head out of the kitchen. “Ah, Erwin,” the older man grinned, holding out his hand. “You got my message then?”

“Thank you, Mr. Pixis, I did,” Erwin responded, returning the man’s firm grip in his handshake. “I wasn’t expecting you to find something so quickly.” It was the truth. Erwin had just sent out this particular ask to his contacts a few days before and had been hoping the text the previous day would be from Levi, finally responding to all his calls and messages, but no such luck. On the other hand, if the picture Pixis had sent him was accurate, then he was a large step closer to putting his plan into motion.

“Well, I made a few calls,” Pixis said. “You know how it is. Pay enough and you can get anything. And I know you’re good for it.” The glint in his eyes drew a knowing nod from Erwin.

“I am,” he confirmed. “So, where is it?”

“Just in the sun room here,” Pixis cocked his head and turned, taking what looked like a back door. He held it open, and Erwin stepped through into a small enclosed porch, an obvious addition to the house’s original design. Pixis had walked to the center of the room and laid a hand on top of the object he’d found for Erwin. “What do you think?” The older man asked, nodding down at the piece.

“It’s beautiful-” Erwin breathed, his brow furrowing as he stepped closer and bent down to examine it, “I’ve never seen one painted like that.”

“Pretty special,” Pixis agreed and gave the side of the thing a hard knock. The sound was dull. “She’s solid too, though you know some of these colors have faded from their original pigment. Locks work too, just like you asked for. Even the inside compartment.”

“And you have the keys?”

“I do.”

“I’ll take it,” Erwin decided immediately.

“Don’t you even want to know what it costs, Mr. Smith?” The smile turning up the edges of Pixis’s mustache was more than enough to tell Erwin that it was going to be _very_ expensive.

* * *

The pieces of his plan were all fitting neatly together. Erwin had laid enchantments on the antique he’d bought until its old iron practically oozed magic. He’d drunk potion after potion, tweaking ingredients and mastering his preparation, and he’d finally hit on what he thought was a winning combination. After a flash of inspiration he’d even figured out how to test his work, and had left the blood drive at the small church two towns over after donating what the astonished nurse was sure had to be enough blood for four people. A full twenty-four hours free of unwanted side effects convinced him. It was time to pay Levi a visit.

Erwin pulled into the driveway by Levi’s home twenty minutes before the sun was supposed to set. He’d passed by the shop and confirmed that it hadn’t been opened today, just as the overcast afternoon had turned to a steady drizzle. Sitting in the car, he fished his phone from his pocket and stared at it. There was probably no point in calling or texting Levi. He’d done that plenty in the past and gotten no answer. His thumb twitched, hovering over the phone screen as he debated trying one last time. _Screw it_ , Erwin thought, wrenching the car door open and stepping out into the damp evening instead. He was already here.

The toolbox Levi had left on his dining room floor was sitting in his trunk. Lugging it out, Erwin made his way up the driveway. As he turned onto the bricks of the front walkway he noted the beat up old sedan parked under a tree by the rear of the house. Walking confidently up to the front door, Erwin hefted the big toolbox, straightened up, and pressed on the buzzer. A single, clear _Ding_ sounded inside, and Erwin took a half-step back to stand directly in front of the door. He stood a moment, composing his features. The seconds moved slowly. He strained, listening, trying to catch any faint creaks of the old house as Levi moved inside. But there was nothing. Erwin rang the buzzer again, for good measure. Again he heard its tone, then- nothing.

Nothing. Erwin shifted the heavy toolbox to his other hand. Still _nothing_. His chin setting into a hard frown, Erwin stared at the door, willing Levi to open it. He leaned forward, scrutinizing the buzzer. He raised his finger, pointing accusingly at it before using it. Once- then twice- then in a string of increasingly urgent presses he jabbed at it. The rings cut each other off, stuttering together in a high tone before fading out when Erwin’s hand fell to his side.

This wasn’t working. Levi wasn’t coming.

 _Well_ , Erwin thought, _I’ve done everything a civilized man can do._ But there was one thing he hadn’t yet tried. And as much as Erwin hadn’t wanted to resort to it, desperate times called for desperate measures.

Erwin was going to have to be very _un_ civilized.

His grip on the toolbox’s handle tightening, Erwin turned away from the door. He stepped to the edge of the brick walkway. Before him lay Levi’s small front lawn. He paused. Even in the fading light it looked tidy. Not a single stray leaf or twig sat on it. Its crisp edges, its shaped corners, the whole thing even was and orderly. The neatly-clipped grass had lost most of its color to the cold earth, but the idea of walking on it still felt somehow wrong. Erwin took a deep breath. As he raised his foot his heartbeat skipped. Into his mind flashed a memory. Levi- attacking him. Inhuman strength. The white of sharp eye-teeth. Endless depths of blown-out pupils trained hungrily on him. The thoughts made his heart race. But it was different this time. Instead of fear, Erwin felt excitement grip him as the grass crunched beneath his shoe.

Walking to the center of the yard, each step purposeful where it sunk into the grass, Erwin turned to face the house. The drapes were pulled shut. He set the toolbox down in front of him. No lights were on. He zipped up the front of his jacket against the drizzle that had turned to a sprinkling rain, and slid his hands into his pockets. There were no signs of life from the house. But he knew Levi was home. His car was parked in the driveway.

So, Erwin did the only thing he could think to do-

Wait.

Erwin waited as the streetlights turned on. He waited as the sun set, and the grey sky slowly faded drab and finally a featureless black. He waited as the temperature dropped, and rain became sleet. He shifted, looking down at the toolbox, looking back up at Levi’s house, trying to discern if there had been any change. There hadn’t, as far as he could tell, but the lid of the toolbox was wet. His hair was wet too, his bangs starting to stick to his forehead despite the pomade. Cars passed by on the street. Headlights rose and fell across the front of the house. Starting, then stopping, following the rhythm of the traffic lights. As he waited they grew fewer, the lights further between.

Erwin’s shoulders hunched up and he tugged at the collar of his jacket, trying to pull it higher to cover more of his neck. The fabric was getting heavy. His shoes were soaking. As Erwin looked up at the sky, grey and white specks fell out of blackness and stung where they touched his skin. He shuffled his feet. Around the handle of the toolbox a little pile of slushy ice had gathered. It clung to the corners of the box as well, small mounds forming at its base. The grass was dusted with it, speckled white, his feet leaving crisp outlines when he moved them a step to the side.

He was still waiting. He would wait. As long as it took. Erwin puffed a breath into the cold air, the steam fleeing from his mouth as soon as it had formed. He shook himself. He was getting cold; his knees were feeling stiff. Brushing ice from his jacket with his bare hands he shivered, wishing he’d brought gloves, and jammed them quickly back into his pockets. His jeans were beginning to soak through. They felt heavy. He swore he could feel a squishing in his socks when he shifted. No cars had passed in a very long time.

Erwin wasn’t sure how long he’d been waiting. It could have been an hour. It had probably been more. All he knew was that he was soaked through and his fingers and ears were no longer cold- instead they just hurt. Still, Erwin stood vigil. In the freezing cold sleet he listened, and he watched. He thought he’d memorized every feature of the front of Levi’s house. It had seven windows. Fourteen black shutters. Forty-nine individual panes of glass. Erwin had stared at it so long that he didn’t even notice the front door open a crack.

He did notice when it was flung open fully. A short, scowling, dark-haired man had thrown it open- the door banging against the clapboards as Levi marched off the small stoop and into the grass.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Levi snapped, bearing down on him, his voice harsh, every angle sharp. He stormed up to Erwin, stopping a few steps in front of the toolbox to fold his arms over his chest and glower.

“You never picked up your tools. From my house. I thought you might need them, so I’ve come to return them.”

“Don’t bother, I’ve got plenty others,” Levi replied. His grey eyes were hard. “Go home.”

“I won’t,” Erwin insisted. He leaned down, picking up the toolbox as his cold joints complained. Taking a step forward, he offered it to Levi. “I came to give you these. So you can finish the job you started.”

Levi sighed. He made no move toward Erwin, toward his outstretched arm, or the toolbox he held like an offering. His arms fell to his sides. “It doesn’t matter.” Levi spoke into the ground. “You never paid me. I never finished. And it doesn’t matter. Let’s forget the whole thing.”

In the cold, dark night, Levi looked small. His words sounded hollow. His arms were bare, and Erwin realized that Levi had come outside without his wool coat. He’d hardly ever seen Levi without it. Usually he even wore it indoors. He’d never seen him like this before- pale- exposed.

He’d never seen Levi like this. Shivering.

“I don’t want that. I don’t want to forget.” Erwin’s grip on the handle of the toolbox tightened. “Come back, Levi. If you don’t want to fix that safe anymore it’s fine. I don’t care if it ever gets finished. It was just an excuse to see you anyway.” At the admission, Levi looked up. Confused, frustrated, emotions flashed quickly across his face before his frown pushed them away. His mouth opened, Levi couldn’t speak before Erwin continued. “But I have another job for you. It’s one only you can do.”

Levi closed his mouth, lips pressing into a thin, flat line. He shook his head, but he stuck out his hand, reaching for the handle of the toolbox. For a second before he wrenched the heavy box from Erwin’s grip their fingers touched- cold as ice.

“Fine,” Levi relented.

Before he could turn away, Erwin laid a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. Their eyes met and held. “When will you come over?” Erwin asked.

“Tomorrow night. Seven.”

A glimmer of warmth kindled in Erwin’s chest. He squeezed Levi’s shoulder. It felt solid. It was a small victory. “I’ll be waiting. I’ll make tea,” he added. The widening of Levi’s eyes was just a hint of a thing, easy enough to miss, but the rising of his thin brows ever so slightly gave him away. Before Erwin could decide whether Levi was touched by the gesture or uncomfortable, the smaller man shrugged his hand off with a fluid shake of his shoulders. He stepped back, easily lifting the toolbox, forearm flexing as he balanced it on his shoulder were Erwin’s hand had lain moments before.

“Whatever,” he muttered, then louder, “You better go home. You’re soaked. It’s fucking freezing. It’ll be late soon, too.” Turning away, he walked back towards the house. Erwin watched, still equal parts relieved and elated. As Levi mounted the single step onto his front stoop, he looked back over his shoulder.

“Oh. One more thing.”

“What’s that?”

“If you stand there any longer you’re going to kill the grass. Get off my fucking lawn, Erwin Smith.”

Erwin grinned.


	9. Sturgeon Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi comes back to work on the new job Erwin has for him and finally learns the nature of Erwin's secret.

The new job Erwin had mentioned sat squarely on a coffee table in the great room. Erwin had left him alone and he could hear muted sounds coming from the kitchen- likely the tea he’d been promised. Levi took his time admiring the iron strongbox before he even touched it. It wasn’t large. Probably two feet long and a foot in both height and depth, its size wasn’t what was impressive. Pacing around the coffee table, Levi examined the box. It was old, like every fine thing Erwin had asked him to work on. But this piece was special. Even a layman could appreciate that at a glance. The iron had darkened with age, tarnishing and blackening, but the bright patterns painted over it were still vibrant in their reds and yellows.

Iron bands criss-crossed the box, dividing it into rectangles. In the spaces between were painted motifs, ships at sea, faraway lands, all done in an expressive and joyous style. The flowers and leaves, with their open red blooms, showy white petals, and fanciful shapes wound across the bands in repeating borders. The blue of the waves had faded- old pigments like this didn’t often last hundreds of years, but the effect was not lost. Levi was sure he’d never seen an armada chest so richly decorated. Walking around it, Levi bent down to see the rivets along each band of metal, their smooth, round heads evenly spaced without ruining the painted designs.

In front of the box he squatted down, peering at its face. The false keyhole at its center was quite convincing. The seam of the lid was tight, nothing more than a hair-thin crack. Its condition was incredible. It must have been made in the 1600s, Levi mused, reaching tentative fingers out to stroke its face. Just as his fingers brushed iron, he pulled them back, a shock like static sparking a mild pain. Shaking off the sensation, Levi touched the strongbox again, with his whole hand this time.

It shocked him again- this time the electric flash buzzed up his arm and tightened his jaw. He pulled away. Cocking his head to the side, Levi stared at the box, scrutinizing it as he brought his hand slowly closer. Hovering just above its surface, he wavered. The box didn’t seem strange. It was old, and beautiful, a treasure in and of itself, but there was nothing else remarkable about it. When Levi lay his hand flat on its top, he felt nothing. The static was gone; it had dissipated. The strongbox was solid, its iron smooth and cool under his fingertips.

Levi stood, regarding the box.

“How do you want your tea?”

He turned hearing Erwin’s voice. The big man was leaning around the doorway, holding a bottle of powdered coffee creamer. “I’d prefer it black, but whatever you do, don’t add that,” Levi made a sour face as he pointed accusingly at the creamer. Erwin shrugged, seemingly unbothered.

“No problem. I’ll just drink that cup then.” Disappearing into the kitchen for a few seconds, Erwin reappeared holding two mugs. He walked over to Levi, offering him the darker tea of the two. “I didn’t add anything to it,” he reassured, and Levi took it from him. His fingers curled around the ceramic mug as he brought it close to his chest. Its radiating warmth felt pleasant. Erwin’s eyes flicked over his hands. “I could light a fire, too, you know,” Erwin offered, indicating the large fireplace in the center of the cavernous room. Levi had admired it before, passing in and out of the mansion’s rooms. It was impossible to miss, the centerpiece of the two-story great room with its exposed brick travelling up to the very roof of the house. But he shook his head anyway. Erwin’s thick brows pulled down. “You’re wearing your coat inside again. I feel bad.”

“Don’t. I’m fine,” Levi responded, burying his face in the steam gathering above his mug and breathing deeply. Smoky, earthen, the base of black tea deepening its body, Levi sniffed the drink. It smelled-

Old. Familiar. Nostalgic. Levi raised the mug to his lips, testing a sip. The flavor was rich and bold with an undertone of bitterness. He tasted hints of cinnamon and orange peel in the blend, adding depth as he took a longer drink. The tea was hot, but not scalding. It warmed him as he enjoyed the flavors. He had been right to stop Erwin from adding anything. There was something special about this tea just as it was. He took another drink, the sense of déjà vu tugging at him.

“You like it?” Erwin was drinking his too. It looked like it was already almost half-gone, even though he’d ruined it with that disgusting creamer.

“Yeah,” Levi agreed. He looked down at his mug. The red-brown surface of the liquid looked like so many other black teas he’d had but- the smell. It was so familiar, yet strange. It was like he’d smelled it before, a long time ago. Levi raised the mug to his face again. He frowned at it, nose wrinkling. He dismissed the thoughts willfully. Of course it was familiar. Levi drank black tea every day. It damn well better be familiar by now. Levi took another taste. Steam warmed his cheeks. “Where did you get this?” he asked.

“Nowhere special.” Levi decided to let the non-answer go. Either way it was a good cup of tea. He placed the mug on the low table and turned back to the strongbox. After a few minutes more of running his hands over it, knocking on one side, and pressing gently at its seams and hinges, Levi finished off the last of the mug. Fortified, he turned to his trusty toolbox. He pulled out a small flashlight and a few thin pry bars. Slotting the thin, flat end of one bar under the lid of the strongbox, Levi flicked on the flashlight. Shining it into the seam, he leaned close, testing the lid with the bar. He worked another prier into the other side, applying force to both. Iron creaked in protest, and the dark seam grew to connect the two tools. He pushed harder, forcing the box. A groan of wood compressing accompanied by the grinding sound of metal on metal made Levi stop pressing. He let up, pulling out the pieces of metal he’d wedged under the lid.

“So, the lock works,” he commented.

“That’s why I asked you to come.” The undertone of amusement in Erwin’s voice was clear.

“Sure,” Levi snapped at him. He waved the flashlight over the lid. At its center was a round metal plate, raised in relief. Adorned with the same border flowers and leaves as any of the other iron strips, it blended in well with the rest of the case until Levi examined the lid from the side at eye-level. Then it stuck up too much. That was where the real keyhole was, he was sure of it, and Levi pressed one of the thin pry bars to its edge. Sure enough it slid underneath. Levi wiggled the bar under it, feeling for where it was attached and finding the rivet at its top the only solid point. Gripping its edges, he tugged, swinging the piece of metal on its pivot. The bare keyhole underneath revealed, Levi bent close over the lid. The keyhole looked deep. That meant a lot of bolts.

“Huh,” Levi grunted. He abandoned the box for a moment, instead turning to his tools. Erwin hadn’t told him anything about what he’d be doing. He had all his usual things, but this lock might require some tricks. “Back to basics,” he muttered, pulling the insert out of the top of his toolbox to sort through its lower level. The set of homemade picks he was looking for were nearly forgotten at the bottom of the box, but Levi pulled out the key ring after a minute of searching. He hadn’t used these in a long time. There wasn’t anything remarkable about their shape or size, but they were thicker, heavier pieces of metal than most of the tools he used nowadays. Locks now were too thin, too fragile for the weighty picks he’d used in centuries past.

“That big bastard of a lock probably had a big bastard of a key,” he commented.

“Probably,” Erwin answered.

“And I’ll bet the thing’s spring-loaded, too,” Levi complained.

“I think they usually were during that period,” Erwin agreed.

“This might be a two-night job,” Levi told him. “I’ll try to figure out which bolts are where tonight. Might have to make a key to turn them all at once.”

“I guess that’s fine,” Erwin sighed, “but I had hoped you could get it all done tonight.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Levi grumbled. He plucked out a small notebook from the side of the toolbox before standing up. Opening the notebook to its center and sliding the pen keeping his place from it, Levi laid his tools on top of the box. His ring of warded picks was simple, but the job they would have to do wasn’t guaranteed to be. For a moment he wished the room was brighter, or that he’d brought a flexible work light, but there was nothing he could do about that now and it would have just been for show anyway. Instead Levi chose a pick at random and got to work.

Picking a lock the old way was simple, in theory. Each pick had a differently shaped end. All together, they made up every possible element in a key’s shape. The set he’d made included all the standard ones as well as a few of his own he’d developed through trial and error. The lock would have a number of tumblers, or bolts, and all he had to do was find out where each was and what shape he needed to turn them. Levi moved through the picks quickly, almost automatically. The first bolt was just barely inside of the keyhole, and the pick with a simple triangle-shaped edge on its side was enough to press it into a partial turn. Levi wrote it down shorthand. A finger he’d placed on the pick to gauge the bolt’s depth added a jotted number to the note. He didn’t need to twist it all the way, and in fact knew he couldn’t. The spring-loaded lock needed much more force than he could apply on a single bolt. Or rather, Levi knew he could apply plenty of force but he’d be left with nothing but a broken pick. In this lock all the bolts had to be turned simultaneously for it to open.

All he could do was go through the picks, one by one, easing them further back into the lock, testing each. Levi had done this before, so many times he didn’t need to think about it. He could feel the insides of the lock, the picks under his fingers; he didn’t even need to look at their shapes to know which he was holding. The first three bolts were simple: triangle, medium peg, half-circle. The fourth was harder to budge. It might be larger than any of his picks. It could be rusted. Levi tried angling the pick slightly, trying different approaches. Eventually he hit on one that worked well enough, but he frowned down at his notes as he made them.

The fifth bolt was much more difficult. He could barely get the picks into the keyhole that deep. Levi’s brows pulled together tighter. Suspicious, he lined his finger up with the pick, pressing the tip up to the keyhole. Pulling the tool back out, he scrutinized the metal. He’d barely put it a third of the pick’s length in. He put his face closer to the lock. There was nothing blocking it. He could see deeper down than he’d put the pick by at least twice the distance. Irritated and confused, Levi put the pick back in. He pressed, teeth gritting, for a long minute before letting out a huff of breath.

“Fucking thing,” he grumbled.

“Everything alright?” Erwin asked behind him.

“Yeah, yeah,” Levi waved him away. He shrugged off his jacket, setting it to the side of the box, and gave his arms a few quick stretches to limber them up. He was going to get those fucking picks into that fucking lock. Jabbing the pick back in, he gripped its handle tight. He pushed until it stopped moving- the same depth as before. Levi bit his lip, his other hand clasping the first to provide more leverage as he pushed. Muscles straining, he leaned down on the box, using the power and weight of his shoulder. “What the fuck is wrong with-” he muttered, the pick refusing to budge even a hair further. Levi forced his strength into it. His muscles tensed, half-spat curses escaping his mouth with each attempt. It should be more than enough to crack any rusted parts free. It should be enough to bend the goddamn metal itself.

“Fuck!” Levi blurted out, his grip on the pick failing. He let go, leaning over his toolbox to look for a mallet as the picks popped neatly out of the lock in an arc and landed with a jangling clatter on the floor. “What the-” Levi looked up, blinking at where his ring of tools had fallen. “Fuck?” he finished his statement, standing back up to stare at the strongbox.

The box was glowing. Just slightly at its edges, but the iron gave off a dim light that brightened closer to the lock. From a faint red it lightened to yellow by the lock, the keyhole glowing a hot white. Levi stared at it. He blinked. It was still glowing. He wiped the back of his hand across his eyes- but nothing had changed. Getting closer, leaning down, he stopped with his nose inches from iron. The strongbox wasn’t just glowing- it was also humming. It was quiet, but he could just make it out. The air around the iron vibrated slightly, singing a clear tone so high it was almost out of the audible frequency.

He hadn’t done anything to it. There was no way it should be all lit up, like a forge burnt inside it-

Unless…

Levi reached for the box, his fingers hovering over its surface. He couldn’t feel heat radiating from it. When he touched its sides they were cool too, just as cool as they’d been before. Except now his fingers buzzed, each touch a small static shock, the hair on the back of his arm standing straight up. Remembering the shocks he’d felt when he first touched the box, Levi narrowed his eyes. He sniffed the air. It smelled faintly of ozone.

Putting both hands down flat on the box’s sides, Levi closed his eyes. He emptied his mind, feeling the crackling electricity on his skin, listening for the hum. It was there, something more than just iron, and wood, and years of age. It was under his hands, an energy pulsing and beating like a living thing. And he could see it too. It burned behind his eyelids. Disturbed, awoken, bleeding magic from its violated lock like an open wound. Levi opened his eyes. The air around the box looked thick, rippling and wavering like a mirage. Taking another sniff, Levi stopped dead.

Not just ozone- he smelled something else now, something stronger-

something delicious. Levi’s mouth began to water. Tangy, sharp, savory, the smell held an almost electric quality. He’d smelled that intoxicating scent before.

And Erwin was being awfully quiet.

Levi licked his lips even as his gums began to tingle. He knew what was happening now. The strongbox held magic. Magic that smelled like Erwin’s blood-

Or did Erwin’s blood smell like magic?

Levi turned slowly to face Erwin. Standing a few feet behind him, in flannel pajama pants and his plain undershirt, still holding an empty tea mug, Erwin looked just as comfortable and casual as ever.

“Where did you get this?” Levi asked, pointing at the box now reeking magic all over the coffee table and floor.

“Antiques dealer,” Erwin shrugged, unbothered. “It didn’t come exactly like that though, I made a few modifications.”

“Modifications…” Levi trailed off, his brain finally catching up and clicking all the pieces together. “You can use magic?”

“You remember my business card- Solutions _Wizard_ , right?” Erwin grinned.

“So that’s why your blood smells so-” Levi stopped himself, eyes darting over Erwin’s face, trying desperately to predict and head off any reaction.

Erwin took a step forward, one hand held out. “It’s okay, Levi. I already know what you are.” The tone of his voice was even, but not reassuring enough to stave off the sense of dread that had accompanied Levi’s slip. _Of course he knows_ , he admonished himself, _I attacked him- of course-_

“Levi. It doesn’t matter.”

Levi looked up. “What?”

“It doesn’t matter. Really. I mean, it does. That’s why I had to make this safe. I put all those enchantments on it for you.”

“For me?” Processing what Erwin was saying was difficult. Not because it was complicated, not because it was unexpected, but because it was almost too good to be true. Erwin knew he was a vampire. He really wasn’t afraid. On top of that, he could use magic. Suddenly, Erwin’s lack of fear made complete sense. Everything he’d done, the lengths he’d gone to in contacting Levi, they no longer seemed like insanity. Instead, they were… well, they were kind of sweet. 

“You did this…”

“To prove myself to you,” Erwin answered. The schoolboy grin was gone, earnestness etched in the set of his brows. Levi frowned. He wasn’t angry, not really. Not at Erwin at least- he couldn’t be. But he was upset with himself. He should have been able to see this quicker. There were signs he'd missed. He should have suspected. “Would you like to come over tomorrow night for dinner?” Erwin asked, leaning over him, crowding his space and smiling expectantly.

“Cheeky blond bastard,” Levi muttered, turning away from Erwin to look down at the floor as he pulled his shoulders up high to his quickly warming ears.

“Hmm?”

“You must be very brave, Erwin Smith,” he accused, meeting the taller man’s steady gaze with his own. “Or very stupid, despite all those letters after your name on that shitty business card,” Levi finished.

“Two things can be true.” Erwin winked, the charming gesture completely disarming Levi.

“Well. Um. Yeah, then, about dinner.”

“How does sushi sound?”

Levi’s nose wrinkled momentarily before he banished from his mind the thoughts of just how many pounds of raw fish he already consumed on a daily basis. “Actually,” he said instead, “I’d prefer a steak. Bloody.”


	10. Snow Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi dines at Erwin's mansion and Erwin reveals something more about himself that they have in common.

Levi had been to Erwin’s house plenty of times before, but somehow, as he rolled down the long gravel driveway, things felt different this time. Maybe it was the layer of new, white snow covering the ground and clinging to every branch, but things looked different too. When he passed through the last of the almost-wild bushes separating the mansion from the road and the view of the front yard opened up, Levi’s foot hit the brakes so fast his tires slid in the unpacked snow. Too surprised to react, Levi just stared at the house.

The unkempt hedges shielding the house’s front from the drive had been trimmed. Brush and bracken had been ripped out, beaten back, tamed into submission, and now where the driveway branched the house’s front was proudly on display. Gone was any hint of neglect: the grasses gone to seed, the gap-toothed holes in the slate roof, the crumbling stone walls were all restored to their former glory. The stately Georgian mansion presided over its grounds with the dignity and grace befitting its age. Levi stared, wide-eyed, taking in the scene of the newly-revealed front formal garden. Its evergreen topiaries and clean, straight lines were visible even under the blanket of snow. But what kept him stopped, just sitting in his car, foot still pressing the brake to the floor, wasn’t the house, or the garden- it was the lights.

In the winter’s dark night, the house glowed with them. Golden and white, flickering points of light outlined everything. They draped over bushes, lighting the snow from underneath. They dripped along branches, hanging from the trees like strings of tinsel. They outlined every window, reflections dancing in multiples on the glass. As Levi finally shook off his astonishment, he eased his foot off the brakes, turning where the driveway branched for the first time.

He stopped directly in front of the house, and got out of his car, still staring up at the display as he shut the car door. Up closer his suspicions were confirmed. There were no wires between the lights, nothing tying them together or needing to be plugged in. Erwin had made them, using some kind of magic. Though he had no idea how they worked, Levi could still sense it. As he walked up to the front door Levi could almost feel it, a little thrill running up his spine and making goosebumps rise on his skin as he got closer to the fairy lights. This time was definitely different.

The door opened almost immediately after he’d rung the bell, and Levi was faced with a second surprise- Erwin.

To say that he thought Erwin was an unfashionable dresser wasn’t exactly fair. It was just that most of the times he’d seen him, Erwin had either been severely under-dressed, or wearing a jacket that covered up whatever he had on. This time, though, it was clear that Erwin had put a lot more effort into his appearance. He stood in the open doorway, tall and handsome, in dark jeans, a cream turtleneck sweater, and leather moccasins. The jeans fit perfectly- relaxed but tailored in all the right places and far more professional than anything Levi had ever imagined him in. The sweater looked heavy and well-made. Its knit cables stretched slightly over Erwin’s chest, and drew his eyes up to where it ended, partway up the muscular column of his neck.

As Levi’s eyes swept over Erwin’s face, taking in the chiseled cheekbones and the prominent ridge of Erwin’s regal nose, he noticed that the man was freshly shaven. A far cry from the usual five-o-clock shadow and disheveled bangs, Erwin’s hair was parted to the side and slicked, not a single strand of golden hair out of place.

“Hello, Levi, come in.” Erwin’s deep voice was enough to bring Levi’s attention back. He opened the door wider, stepping back as Levi entered. “Oh, could you remove your shoes?” Erwin asked, pointing at a small mat just inside the door.

“Sure.”

“I just cleaned and I’d rather not bring the snow inside,” Erwin explained. Silently impressed, Levi bent down and undid the laces of his shoes, slipping them off and leaving them on the mat. “I can take your coat, too,” Erwin added extending his hand. Feeling a little more like the center of attention that he was strictly comfortable with, Levi unbuttoned his heavy wool coat and mechanically pulled his arms from it before handing it over. Stowing it in a closet nearby, Erwin didn’t miss a single beat playing the charming host. “We’ll be eating in the dining room. Can I get you a glass of something? Bourbon? Scotch?”

“Uh…” Levi floundered for a moment, still not used to this version of Erwin. He’d barely started being able to keep his cool around the curious, unfussy Erwin with his esoteric interests and eccentric habits. This Erwin was perplexing in a different way, but it was almost comforting to find that the man still asked far too many questions. “Wine?” Levi finally decided.

“Excellent. I’ve got a Barolo in the cellar that should be plenty old enough to enjoy by now.” Erwin spoke as he walked, leading the way out of the atrium and into the dining room Levi had worked many hours in. Entering the room Erwin let Levi pass him, and paused. “I hope you don’t mind waiting here a few minutes while I get the wine and dinner. Make yourself comfortable.” Nodding, Levi walked into the room in a daze, hoping the familiar surroundings would help him get his bearings.

The dining room had changed less than the other parts of the house, to Levi’s great relief. Though he’d moved the broken safe Levi had abandoned fixing off of the table, Erwin had done little more than stick it into a corner. The bizarre collection of glassware on his shelves had changed arrangements, but was just as cramped and disorganized as usual. It looked like things had been taken out and used, then just stuck back wherever they might fit, some without even being washed. The damaged Persian rug still lay on the floor beneath the heavy wood table, and the unsightly burn in its center made something relax in the set of Levi’s shoulders.

He walked slowly around the table, taking a moment to compose himself. Erwin had put two tall brass candlesticks at the table’s center with two chairs facing each other. The candles were already lit, and the two places were already set across the wide table with utensils and glasses. Levi studied it for a second before noticing something odd. At each setting were too many glasses. There was a wine glass, a water glass, a china tea cup, and a standard rocks glass. There was no way any meal would require so many options. It looked a little ridiculous, seeing them all lined up, and Levi realized immediately why Erwin had asked him so quickly about what he’d be having to drink. Erwin was probably just as nervous as he was. Taking one last look at the overly-formal table arrangement, Levi clucked his tongue in quiet disapproval and set to work moving things.

He heard Erwin coming before he saw him, and Levi rushed over to pluck a wobbling bottle of wine off the tray Erwin had laden with plates.

“Ah- thanks,” Erwin said, setting the tray down at the edge of the table. “What happened to the-” he began as he looked up.

“I fixed it,” Levi stated. He’d moved the chairs and place settings so that they were clustered at one corner of the table, laying one out on each side not too far apart. The candles had been moved as well, placed so that they were no longer between either setting. “That shit was way too stuffy.”

“You’re probably right,” Erwin agreed, the pinch between his brows softening, “This does look more intimate.” The long look Erwin fixed on him lingered, and Levi had no trouble returning it with his own. Breaking the heavy eye contact only when he looked down to see he was still holding onto the tray, Erwin straightened up. He began placing plates on the table, serving them both from the many things he’d brought. Bread and butter, two plates of salad, and two large dinner plates holding steak and baked vegetables made their way onto the table before Levi was able to stop him.

“Just steak and wine for me,” he said, handing the salad back.

“Oh, I didn’t realize-”

“It’s fine.”

“You can’t eat bread or anything?”

“I can, but…” Levi made a sour face, “it’s usually not worth it. Same with vegetables. I probably should have told you.”

“Is it like an allergy?” Erwin asked, taking the bottle of wine from Levi and winding a corkscrew into its top. He seemed much more interested than upset, so Levi just shrugged.

“Maybe? My body’s just not set up for different kinds of food anymore. I can drink plenty, and meat is generally fine, but that’s about it. Maybe it’s like an allergy. Maybe it’s just because I stopped eating that stuff.” Erwin handed him back a full wine glass and poured his own as they sat. The candlelight reflected on the surface of the wine, the low lighting turning it garnet-dark. Raising his glass, Erwin nodded to Levi.

“Shall we toast?”

“To?” Levi wondered.

“To…” Erwin let his words drag out, voice going lower before he finished, “…the night.”

Levi paused, watching Erwin as he raised his glass. The toast was short, but it felt thick with meaning. The nod to what he was, the subtle mention of the time they shared- always at the heels of the setting sun- tonight it felt like a preamble to much more.

“To the night.” Levi tipped his glass to Erwin’s, their rims sounding a musical note where they struck. Taking a slow sip, Levi chased the words with wine. The drink’s rich scent mingled with its flavor, rolling the initial berry and spice into deeper tones of licorice that mellowed across his tongue. Swallowing, Levi let the lingering dryness of tannins settle in his mouth, its gentle bitterness pleasant. Erwin had done the same, then turned without pause to bread and salad.

“You’re sure you don’t want any?” He offered a slice of crusty white bread as Levi shook his head again. With a little shrug an unperturbed Erwin started in on his meal. If he’d been worried about things being too formal before, Levi’s hesitations soon evaporated as he watched Erwin eating. The man was neat, but businesslike, and he polished off the salad with a speed Levi was all too familiar with. Levi knew it because he was the same way. It was the pace of a man who ate alone.

He looked down at his own steak, contemplating its beautifully-browned exterior and the ring of pink liquid spreading on the plate below it. He was hungry. The steak smelled good, too. It smelled like blood, and not a fish’s. He took another sip of wine while he debated cutting into it or waiting. Erwin had prepared the steak exceptionally rare, that much was obvious from smell alone, despite how it looked on the outside. He could eat it just as quickly as Erwin’s bread was disappearing. Probably quicker. He could wait until Erwin had finished his bread, or-

“So, vampires drink blood, right?”

The question made Levi blink. Realizing he hadn’t eaten anything, that he’d just been staring rudely, and that he was now making that worse the longer he waited to answer weren’t helping as he tried to respond.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it,” Erwin added, the bold attempt at conversation losing a little momentum. “I realize it may be in poor taste.”

Levi stared. Had Erwin- was this? Here was this painfully handsome man, who had prepared an intensely romantic spread, sitting so close that Levi was keenly aware their knees were almost touching- making a fucking lame- “Is that a joke?” Levi deadpanned.

The hopeful lift in Erwin’s brows confirmed it. Unable to hold back, the mixture of amusement and relief curled the edges of Levi’s mouth into a slightly-stiff smile. He was out of practice, but he thought Erwin noticed it anyway. “We can talk about it,” Levi amended. “Yeah, we drink blood. _I_ drink blood.”

“Human blood?”

“Well, sure. But any kind is fine.” Levi poked his steak, sinking his fork into it and watching the thin red liquid well up from the punctures.

“Really? I thought vampires only drank human blood. Though I saw all those fish you get delivered…”

“Yeah. I mostly drink fishes’ blood. It’s the freshest I can get here. But any blood with hemoglobin is fine, really. It’s all just protein and water, anyway.”

“Then why…” Erwin mused aloud, slicing a bite from his own steak. He lifted the meat to his mouth. Its center was still pink, but Levi felt an involuntary tightness at the back of his throat anyway. The seared dark marks, cooked brown flesh at its edges- like eating cardboard. “Why do all the legends only talk about human blood then?” Erwin asked as he chewed. When Levi merely shrugged, he continued. “Misunderstanding? Bad PR? I’ve never heard of a fish vampire, after all.” The lightness in Erwin’s voice and the smile playing around his eyes finally broke Levi from the awkwardness of indecision.

“Not sure,” he responded, picking up his knife and slicing into the meat on his plate. The steak cut easily under the knife’s serrated line, revealing a glistening, red center. Its scent pricked at Levi’s nose. Salty, rich, hints of earth and iron made his mouth water. Before the piece he’d cut could lose more of its precious juices, he slipped it into his mouth. Levi closed his eyes for a moment as he chewed. It had been a long time since he’d eaten meat. Cooked to perfection: the hints of fire and char on its outside added to the decadence of the barely warmed inside. “Maybe it’s more romantic,” Levi commented, only paying half a mind to what they’d been discussing before.

“Oh. Absolutely.” The huskiness in Erwin’s voice brought back his full attention. “Can you go outside in sunlight? I thought it was supposed to burn a vampire. Will you die? Do you sparkle?”

“Uh- what? Sparkle? What the hell?” Levi blurted, before realizing he might be making a misstep at answering what seemed like a completely earnest question as Erwin gave a mild smile. “I mean… I wear sunscreen? Really strong stuff. So, no, I won’t die,” he amended. “You sure ask a lot of weird questions.”

“I can’t help it,” Erwin admitted, looking down at his plate for a moment. When he looked up he was staring right back at Levi. “You’re a very interesting man.” It intensity in his gaze was impossible to miss. Levi couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. Erwin wasn’t kidding. In fact, he had leaned closer as he said it, and Levi felt a pressure- Erwin’s thigh- pushing into his knee. He didn’t know what to say. Erwin wasn’t frightened, and there was more than just curiosity in his heavy gaze. Careful not to shift or push back, hoping not to break the contact between their legs under the table, Levi tried to sit still without looking too stiff. It wasn’t easy, not with Erwin looking at him like that, and especially not with the tightness he was beginning to feel in his jeans.

To distract himself, Levi turned back to his steak. It was good. It was something he knew how to deal with. As he cut it into even-sized bites, eating them all once he’d sliced exactly three, they both fell quiet. At first the silence was like a vacuum. Hyper-aware of Erwin sitting next to him, the solid muscle of Erwin’s thigh still pushing his legs together and to the side under the table, the clicks of their forks and knives on their plates in the large dining room, Levi struggled. He was enjoying himself, in a way, but it was harder than he’d thought it would be, too. There was a part of him that remained on edge. A hurried glace over at Erwin, who had gone back to his businesslike pace as though nothing had happened, put Levi’s finger on exactly what was bothering him.

It had been a long time since Levi had eaten with someone. It had been years. Many. More than he was really sure of. The reality of it sunk in slowly as Levi drank his wine. It was a thing he’d thought was natural; a monster eating alone. But now, in the small circle of candlelight he shared with Erwin, he was beginning to wonder how long it had really been. Maybe it had been too long.

Somehow, watching Erwin plow through his drastically overcooked steak, barely finishing one bite before taking the next, was comforting. Levi hadn’t fully appreciated it before, but they were more similar than he’d thought. Erwin, decorating his home, dressing up, cooking an excessive feast for a rare guest, only to eat too fast, and himself, finally deciding to take a chance with another person only to fall back into his standoffish ways out of habit. _An odd pair_ , Levi thought to himself. But something in his neck and shoulders had loosened. Whet by the candles and the wine, Levi’s appetite had returned.

The second glass of wine tasted better than the first. Juicier, bolder, thicker, it complemented the steak. It brought out the flavor he enjoyed most: blood. A little more than halfway through his own meal, Levi hadn’t realized Erwin was already finished until he spoke. 

“You’ve lived a long time, haven’t you, _Captain_ Levi Ackerman?” At the mention of the title, Levi looked up. He had been called that. It had been familiar, once. But it had been more than two hundred years since the last time he’d heard it.

“…yes,” Levi answered simply.

“How long?” Erwin asked, then, shaking his head, added, “Nevermind. It doesn’t matter. Whether it’s three hundred years, or six hundred, or more, it doesn’t matter. You’ve witnessed so much of what we just call history,” he mused. “If I didn’t know better, I’d be jealous.”

“If you didn’t know better?” Levi prompted, his interest piqued.

“Well, part of me thinks it must be incredible. To see it all. To know what happened in the past- exactly, without having to rely on books or second-hand accounts. I’ve always loved to study it. I used to wish I could see it all, too.”

“But?”

“But then I started doing what I do now,” Erwin admitted. “Consulting. Advising. It seemed like a natural extension of my interests. Sifting through history for clues, trying to find parallels for current events. Writing reports, summarizing decisions, trying to piece together the economic and political climates and understanding how they influenced the course of things. Looking for anything that will allow governments and organizations to make better choices today…” Erwin’s voice had gotten softer as he trailed off. His expression had changed. No longer eager and playful, Levi felt like he was seeing another Erwin, one who had been easily eclipsed by the easygoing and relaxed demeanor of the man who he’d spent so much time with. “…it used to be fun. I enjoyed it. For a long time. Probably longer than I should…”

Levi’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean- longer?”

Erwin shook his head. “How much do you know about magic, Levi?”

“Not much.”

“That’s probably for the best. It can be used for all kinds of things. It can heal, guide, comfort. But it can destroy just as easily. And sometimes it’s hard to know which one you’re doing. I’ve made mistakes. For others. For myself. More than a lifetime’s worth already, though nothing quite like the span of yours…” Erwin’s words wavered at their edges, like the flames of the candles burning down their wicks, as he continued. “It might be why I first became interested in you. My work can be… stressful. It makes it hard to remember why I loved learning about the past in the first place. And it can be lonely. When you live the way I have your perspective changes. But I think…” Erwin paused. He was speaking slowly now, quietly enough that Levi had to lean in to listen. “You reminded me of something, Levi. There’s always some amount of mystery to the past. Like an antique- a part of some distant time. You can imagine all kinds of lives and stories for it. It’s that possibility that’s so enticing.”

Erwin’s head turned, until he was looking at Levi again. His handsome face looked serious, the corners of his mouth turned slightly down. Levi had never seen the look he now read on Erwin’s face before, and it made some unknown sense prickle.

“And now?” Levi suggested carefully, not sure if he should be worried about the turn their conversation had taken. He wanted to know more about Erwin; his honesty was refreshing. Levi had wondered about his job before, but the direction of his thoughts wasn’t what he’d imagined. There was a quality of dissatisfaction to it. It made him uncertain. If ‘possibility’ was all Erwin was interested in… 

“Can I ask you something, Levi?”

Levi felt his jaw tighten. It wasn’t a good sign. Despite the rising doubt, he forced out a quick nod.

“Don’t you ever get tired of it?”

This wasn’t at all what Levi had expected. “Of- what?” Caught off guard, Levi faltered, the uncertainty of the previous moments giving rise to genuine confusion.

“Well, I don’t know. Of watching? People always make things hard for themselves. They make things hard for each other. They can be so selfish and nearsighted. Even if you tell them, even if you try your best to guide them, they make the same mistakes, over and over, until it hardly feels like history anymore because it just keeps repeating.” Levi could feel the sigh Erwin let out in his bones. It was deep, and long, and Levi wondered if he’d also been somehow holding it back until that moment. They were more alike than he ever could have known. Erwin may not have lived the centuries Levi had, but the tasks he’d set himself were loftier than any Levi had dared attempt in all his years. And somehow, they’d both ended up in such a similar place.

“Sometimes,” Levi agreed eventually, once the sigh had been given time to breathe. “But…” he started, thinking of standing knee-deep in the freezing ocean water, of the sting of cold spray whipping on his face and weighing down his clothes, of facing the same things under the stars’ icy lights,“…do you ever get tired of the scent of the ocean?” The crease that darkened between Erwin’s brows was the only sign he’d heard, but Levi continued. “Do you ever get tired of the sound of waves? Or the color of the full moon shining on the water? Do you get tired of the stars, even though they go around and around, repeating over and over throughout the years on their journey across the skies?”

Erwin sat silent. The pinched-tight look of his forehead and brows lingered, but Levi could see them beginning to work themselves loose. “No, I suppose I don’t,” Erwin said, almost as though he was trying to convince himself. “I don’t get tired of those things. But those are- those aren’t people. They’re different-”

“Isn’t that enough?” Levi could tell that his question had surprised Erwin. He response was instinctual, without thought.

“Is it?” Erwin shot back, “Don’t you get lonely?” Something in Levi’s face must have given away the momentary pang of heartache he felt, the question hitting a raw chord in his chest. Erwin’s hands came up, sending his fork clattering over the plate. “I’m sorry,” Erwin stammered, grabbing up the dropped fork, reaching out his other hand toward Levi’s shoulder before snatching it back self-consciously. “I’m sorry, Levi, I shouldn’t have said that. I didn’t mean it that way. I didn’t mean that you’re- I mean I’m-”

“Yes.” Erwin’s mouth clamped shut at Levi’s answer. “I guess I do. I get… lonely.” Eyes still a little wide, Erwin laid his fork back down on the table. In the silence after his admission, the hand that Erwin had pulled back came up once again, this time coming gently to rest on Levi’s shoulder. Heavy and warm, the small squeeze Levi felt was reassuring. It was the kind of answer Erwin didn’t have to speak, the kind whose meaning went deeper than mere waves of sound could travel.

When the weight of Erwin’s hand lifted off his shoulder, another question fell from his lips. “Levi, how did you become a vampire? When did it happen?” Even the gentleness in Erwin’s voice couldn’t prevent Levi’s body from growing stiff- a chill passing through him at the words.

“August 24th, 1710,” he deadpanned.

“If you don’t mind telling me, what… was it like?”

Levi let out a shaky breath, his chest growing tight, the warmth of Erwin’s house and his company fleeing his bones. Anyone else he wouldn’t have answered. Erwin had even given him an out. He could refuse. He could ignore the question. But he felt he owed Erwin this at least. If they were going to become closer, if they were going to open up to each other, it would be best if Erwin heard his story. “Do you really want to know?”

The time it took Erwin to nod, and the set of his features- honest, serious- told Levi the answer even before Erwin spoke. “I do,” he confirmed.

Levi took a deep breath. “I was at sea. Two days offshore, barely out of port.” It was easy to remember. His last day of life. He’d seen it so many times since. “The ocean was fine, but too calm. Hardly any wind. Sailors feel uneasy in weather like that. It was like a storm was on its way.” He shook his head. “Turns out it was, just not the kind I thought. It happened at night. Isabel saw a fishing boat off the starboard side. Its sails were down. It just sat there, bobbing in the little waves. Looked abandoned… but it wasn’t. We couldn’t tell until we were already too close…”

“And then?” As Erwin prompted him, Levi looked down. His hand lay on the table, curled into a fist he didn’t know he’d made. But it wasn’t what had caught his attention. It was Erwin’s hand laid over his, covering it completely, his touch light but reassuring, that made his throat feel tight as he gathered himself and continued.

“We were attacked,” he stated, his voice hollow even in his own ears. “Brutally. I lost everything all at once. My boat. My livelihood. My friends… and on top of that, my will.”

“Your… will? Why do you say that?” Erwin gave his hand a slight squeeze. It made Levi’s breath catch in his throat.

“Because,” he choked out, realizing he’d never admitted this to anyone and never before articulated it even to himself, “I wanted to die. That was my will. I wanted it. And I couldn’t even do that anymore.” Now that he was talking, the words poured from him in in a rush. “I waited for death to come to me when my ship was destroyed. I waited as I swam, getting weaker and weaker. I waited as the God I’d been taught to believe in failed to collect me. I waited as my body got heavy, and stiff, and cold. So _fucking_ _cold_. And I could feel every agonizing minute of it. I should have died, Erwin,” he finished, closing his mouth, almost shocked at all he’d said.

His explanation hung in the air, sinking into them both, the memory of the cold creeping into Levi’s body as it had so many times before. Erwin’s nod was steady when it came. “But you didn’t die, Levi,” Erwin stated.

“No. The ocean brought me home. I guess she didn’t want me either.” The words couldn’t help but taste bitter in Levi’s mouth.

“Or maybe it wasn’t your time,” Erwin protested, his voice as firm as the way he gripped Levi’s hand.

Levi sighed. “I wished it was. Sometimes I still do. Those things you said earlier… you’re not wrong, either. In many ways, living forever is a curse.”

Erwin’s hand lifted from his, and Levi shivered, the loss of heat immediate. What he’d said he couldn’t take back. And if Erwin didn’t want to hear it-

“I know.” At Erwin’s answer Levi looked up, confused. The other man’s face was solemn, all hints of playful curiosity gone. He looked tired, bushy brows pulled down tight, his forehead lined between them. The tightness around his jaw and his eyes made him look old in a way Levi had never seen before. As he pushed his chair back and stood from the table, he beckoned. “I have something to show you, Levi. Will you come with me?”

Nodding silently, Levi stood and followed as Erwin led him into the hall. They walked down it a little ways, and Erwin stopped at the door to the next room next. It was one Levi hadn’t noticed before, and he certainly hadn’t ever seen it open. As Erwin ushered him in, he began to see why.

The room was Erwin’s study. It was a private space. Levi felt like he was seeing something special, something intimate. The study was completely Erwin: a desk, a chair, overflowing bookshelves lining the walls, bizarre artifacts, strange charts and scrolls filed in what looked like an organizational system only a wizard could grasp. The place reeked of magic. It made Levi’s nose tingle, his mouth water, and his heart begin to race. As he scanned the room, taking in every detail, a framed paper on the wall caught his eye. Levi recognized it. It was a diploma. Next to it was another, below it, another, and above it- two more. Levi shook his head. In some ways, Erwin was ridiculous through and through. No man had time to learn as much as-

Time.

No man had time.

Levi shook his head again. Now that the thought had occurred, he had to know. Drawn to the diplomas, he walked closer to the wall where they hung, squeezing behind Erwin’s chair and desk to peer at their looping cursive. 1942. 1921. 1897. He blinked, squinting harder at the dates, wondering if he could possibly be misreading the years they spelled out in Roman numerals. But as he looked, nothing changed, and when he snuck a glance over his shoulder, Erwin still wore the same serious face.

“But, why?” Levi asked.

Pursing his lips, Erwin frowned, a long exhale pressing out his nose as his crossed arms fell to his sides. “I used to be foolish. I wanted to live history, not just study it. I wanted to learn it all, and there was never enough time. I didn’t understand, Levi, what it meant.” Levi watched as his shoulders slumped, his posture deflating as he continued. “I’m not like you, Levi. You couldn’t do anything about what happened to you. But I didn’t have to get as deeply into alchemy and magic as I did. I didn’t have to chase things I shouldn’t have. I’m not like you…” he repeated, shaking his head, “I had a choice.”

Levi couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy at the pain in Erwin’s words. Living forever was a heavy burden. Even if it wasn't as bad as his case- even if Erwin had only greatly extended his life, it was a fate he wished on no one. Erwin’s earlier question, the regrets lurking behind them, they all made sense to him now. Gingerly, he picked his way around boxes of papers strewn on the floor, until he stood by the door in front of Erwin.

“Earlier, you asked me if I get tired- if I get lonely and I told you I did. I _do_ , Erwin. I get lonely _and_ I get tired. And… I also get very, very cold. Sometimes- for a very long time.” He looked up, catching Erwin’s gaze. As he held it, the lines in Erwin’s face softened, easing slowly. Tentative, Levi reached out, his fingers brushing Erwin’s hand. It shuddered at the touch, and Levi caught it, slipping his into its limp grasp. He wound their fingers together, gripping Erwin’s hand and lifting it between them. As he did a glimmer of light sparked deep in the stillness of blue eyes. Lifting Erwin’s hand, he pressed his lips to it, watching for any reaction. The chaste kiss earned him a feeble squeeze, as Erwin blinked hard, swallowing.

“I get all those things,” Levi admitted, “But... I’m not any of them right now.” He felt his lips curve up, and though he tried to stop them, the creases forming at the edges of Erwin’s eyes in answer wouldn’t let him. He leaned in, rising on the balls of his feet. Erwin took the cue and stooped down, the hand Levi held gripping tighter as their faces drew close. A little awkward, a little rusty, they each faltered in their pace, holding back for a few uncertain seconds before knocking together. Erwin’s nose pressed hard into Levi’s cheek, and Levi’s chin bumped him back.

Their first kiss was quick, a brushed thing that fumbled almost before it had begun. The angles took a moment to find and correct and they’d done neither. But Erwin’s other arm wrapped around Levi’s back, pulling him close, keeping him steady. Barely a whisper apart, they let their mouths find each other naturally. The second time they touched, Levi had more time to feel the shape of Erwin’s lips. Warm and pliant, they welcomed Levi’s. Kissing with mouths closed, eyes closed, Levi let his senses float, focusing only on the feeling of Erwin’s mouth and his. Warm. It was so warm. It made his heart beat faster. He’d forgotten that too.

It was coming back, though.

As their mouths opened, Levi felt the slip of Erwin’s tongue, a flash of need sparking deep inside him. He couldn’t resist. And he didn’t plan to. This was good. This was right. He reached between them. Grabbing a fistful of Erwin’s sweater, he pulled him closer, deepening their kiss, straining to reach until his neck began to ache. Levi ignored it, focused only on getting closer. On the shiver that laced down his spine as Erwin’s fingers prickled through the shaved hair of his undercut. On the wisp of Erwin’s breath when their mouths came apart. On the hum of excitement as they came back together.

“Maybe- we should-” Erwin’s words were part gasp and part mumble as they tried to make their way out between their mouths. Levi let go of his sweater, pulling back just enough to let Erwin speak. “We should go sit in the great room.”

“Huh?”

“Well, it will be more comfortable. And I can light a fire in the fireplace.” The mention of the fireplace immediately caught Levi’s attention. His back straightened as he extracted himself from Erwin’s embrace. Giving a curt nod, he turned toward the hall.

“So, what’re we waiting for Blondie?”


	11. Harvest Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erwin and Levi relax by the fire in the great room and enjoy each other's company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note that this chapter contains biting/mild blood play.

At Erwin’s suggestion they retrieved their glasses from the dining room on their way to the great room. Erwin ducked into the kitchen and snagged a second bottle of wine as they passed. In the dim of the cavernous great room, Erwin traded the wine for an armful of firewood. Behind him, Levi looked around. The space was just as large as he remembered. Too large, almost, as the overstuffed leather sofa looked far enough from the fireplace that its warmth would do little. Foregoing the sofa, Levi instead took a seat on the pile of a thick white shag rug a few feet from the fireplace. It was as good a place as any to sit, and he was close enough to enjoy the view.

The view he’d chosen was of Erwin. His wide back, cream knit-cables straining at his shoulders as he moved, the motion of his large, capable hands, and the stretch of dark denim as he stacked up the wood. He arranged it with a practiced hand. The opening of the huge brick fireplace could accommodate a roaring blaze, but Erwin placed the logs inside on a more manageable scale. Levi finished his glass of wine, enjoying the flavor of a final swallow even if he couldn’t feel any of its other effects. It didn’t stop him from opening the next bottle to pour a new glass though, while he watched the other man work.

Striking a match, Erwin’s head bent down. His hair coming free from its styled part, blond strands brushed stone as Erwin reached in. He held still, igniting the small flame under crumpled paper and slivers of wood he’d left at the center of the pile. As the light spread, licking, then consuming the paper while it curled and blackened, Erwin stood up, hands wiping over dark denim on his thighs as he did.

“More wine?” Levi asked, hefting the bottle by its neck.

“Don’t mind if I do.” Erwin took the empty glass Levi offered him and sat down on the rug, too. He held it out, and Levi tilted the bottle, pouring generously. “Cheers,” Erwin offered, and they touched glasses as Levi echoed the toast. Settling down to sit side by side, sipping their wine, they watched the fire glow, its light growing brighter as the larger logs caught. Its sounds were enough conversation to satisfy them as they relaxed into each other. Erwin’s shoulder was solid, but it yielded when Levi rested his head against it. The muted crackle and murmur of flame made the unspoken excuses for them when Erwin’s hand snuck onto Levi’s leg. It rested for a few moments, easily covering all of his knee, before fingers began to idly stroke his leg.

The touch brought with it a pleasant warmth. Complemented by the fire, the heat rose within Levi also. A subtle tightness in his groin, a heaviness in his chest, the signs crept up slowly as they sat. Levi’s senses sharpened to focus on the man next to him, the thumb drawing small circles under his knee, the places their sides pressed, the softness of Erwin’s sweater against his cheek. They were simple things, little things, but the way the shadows danced at the edges of the room set them alive in relief. They were more than enough to make the cadence of Levi’s breathing change, his pulse quicken in anticipation.

“Do you want to… watch something?” Erwin asked, his deep voice resonating in Levi’s core.

“The- fuck?” Levi asked, leaning away to fix Erwin with a look. “Are you serious?”

“Well-” Erwin started, clearly taken aback. “Ah…” he tried again, closing his mouth as his brows knit. He looked like he was thinking, almost too hard, Levi noted. Was there still some misunderstanding? Levi had thought the kiss earlier had answered that question already. It was only when Levi’s eyes fixed on the obvious bulge in Erwin’s pants that he understood. Erwin wanted exactly what he wanted.

“Hey. Whatever. I’ve got a better idea anyway,” Levi said, leaning over to put his empty wineglass out of harm’s way. He stood, shaking his head at a still-bewildered Erwin, before reaching up and pulling his shirt over his head in one easy motion. Tossing it effortlessly onto the couch, he watched Erwin’s blue eyes widen. Licking his lips, enjoying the moment of looking down on the much taller man, Levi grinned. “You know, for a genius you can be a complete idiot, Erwin,” he joked as he undid the button and zipper on his jeans while Erwin stared. Hooking his thumbs under the waistband, Levi pulled them down, underwear and all, and plucked his socks off as he straightened up. 

“Ah haha,” Erwin chuckled. “I guess you’re right. What did you call me before?” he mused, eyes roving hungrily up bare legs, catching on the curve of Levi’s half-hard cock, before drinking in the compact muscle of Levi’s torso and chest. By the time his gaze made it back to Levi’s face, Erwin’s eyes had darkened, their presence almost palpable- as though the man sitting on the floor was already touching him. “Brave, or stupid?” Erwin spoke, beckoning Levi over.

“…two things can be true,” Levi finished, stepping closer until he stood with Erwin’s outstretched legs between his feet. His face mere inches from Levi’s crotch, Erwin’s thick brows rose playfully. The bridge of his nose dipped toward him. Barely grazing the line of dark hair spilling from Levi’s navel, it skimmed down, warm puffs of breath on Levi’s skin raised goosebumps as he shivered. Erwin nose, his mouth, hovered just out of reach, even as his head lowered, playing close but never touching, quickly wearing through Levi’s composure. As Erwin’s lips parted, Levi’s reaction was visceral. He could no longer take it. He sucked in a breath. His abdomen clenched. His cock bounced, just enough to brush Erwin’s chin.

When he felt Erwin’s hands plant firmly on his ass, squeezing as they dragged him forward, Levi let out a small gasp. It turned quickly to a deep moan when Erwin’s nose pressed into his groin, lips mouthing at the root of his cock. He hadn’t expected Erwin’s tongue on him so quickly. Startled and aroused, Levi’s hands found Erwin’s shoulders, his hair- grabbing at silky blond strands that slipped from his fingers as he tried to find something to steady himself. It was difficult to do, with Erwin almost pulling him over, kneading his ass, his mouth and tongue just as eager. Levi groaned, his cock hardening quickly, Erwin’s open kisses leaving it slick as he licked down its length. One of his hands moved to Levi’s hip, thumb pressing into the hard ridge, until Levi could feel his pulse. The desperate tug on Erwin’s hair pulled him away- long enough for Erwin to wrap one large hand around the shaft of Levi’s cock.

Levi’s grip tightened, tilting Erwin’s head back, making him look up. Blue eyes lidded with desire, Erwin’s handsome features made even sexier by the mess of his bangs in Levi’s fist, Levi watched as Erwin gave his cock a few agonizingly slow strokes. He squeezed just a little, wrist turning as it passed over the ridge of Levi’s cock. Slow, steady, Levi stood transfixed. And though he enjoyed it all - the slight grin at the edges of Erwin’s mouth, the thrill of thick fingers rubbing deeper into his crack, the pleasure as Erwin’s thumb slid through the precum leaking at the head of his cock- there was one thing overpowering Levi’s focus.

The line of Erwin’s neck beneath his upturned chin. His Adam’s Apple. His tendons. His throat, bare, exposed, every breath and swallow displayed for Levi to see.

And want.

Levi shuddered, closing his eyes.

“Levi?” Erwin’s voice was deep, husky as it came to him from below.

“Hmm?”

“Let me kiss you- on the mouth,” Erwin added. Levi nodded, sinking down to straddle Erwin’s lap. He kept his eyes closed, trying not to think about Erwin’s thick neck. It would be so easy- the skin there was so fragile. Bruising from just a kiss…

A kiss. He felt Erwin’s lips against his own. The slip of his tongue opened Levi’s mouth. He responded easily, arousal overtaking hunger, distraction from distraction. Erwin’s kisses were just as bold on his mouth as they had been on his cock. Deep, wanting, Erwin’s tongue slid against his own, his hands grabbed at Levi’s sides, his back, his ass. It was so easy to get lost in it. In the mounting need. In the desire for more. In the pressure he felt as his hips moved in Erwin’s lap, grinding against the hardness in his jeans. Levi wanted more.

He fumbled as they kissed, hands finding the bottom of Erwin’s sweater. The connection of their lips, their mouths, it was no longer enough. Slipping under the hem of Erwin’s sweater, Levi ran his hands up Erwin’s sides, enjoying the responding groan he felt as an exhale, and heard through his jaw. The knit hiked up as his arms moved higher, exposing more to Levi’s touch. Firm abdomen, the ridge and tightness of muscle, the feeling of heated skin drove him on. Levi’s fingers roved over Erwin’s body, mirroring the same way Erwin greedily touched him.

Erwin licked deep into his mouth. His big hands held Levi firm, cupping the cheeks of his ass and rocking him against where Erwin’s cock strained in his pants. Levi’s hands groped under the sweater at Erwin’s chest, at his hair, grabbing handfuls of both. Their mouths broke apart for a moment. Erwin pulled in a labored breath. “Your hands-” he mumbled, lips slow and full from kisses. “They’re- ah!” he gasped as Levi’s fingers found the firm nub of a nipple. “C-cold- Ahhhhh a-” the moan he’d let out cut off when Levi pinched too hard, his mouth snapping shut with an audible clack. “Oh. Ow. Uh, sorry,” Erwin corrected, bringing a hand up to his mouth and pressing his fingers to his lips.

Erwin didn’t need to cover his mouth. It didn’t matter. Levi could already smell it-

blood.

He froze, hands stilling on Erwin’s chest. It was unmistakable. Erwin must have bit his lip, or the inside of his mouth, either way he’d drawn blood. And it smelled-

it smelled incredible. Electric. Undeniable.

Plucking at something deep inside Levi, drawing him in, its scent filled his nose. It was like a siren’s song: Enticing, entrancing. Levi felt the hunger he’d suppressed morph into something impossible to ignore. It mixed with his arousal, blending the two, as he rolled against Erwin’s crotch. His gums tingled. They itched. A dull pain throbbed in his jaw. His teeth lengthened and sharpened. And before he could stop it his hand was on Erwin’s, and he was leaning close, drawn in by the smell.

“Ouch.” Erwin spoke softly, offering no resistance as Levi lowered the hand from in front of his mouth. A thin seam of red gathered between his lips, feathering down the creases and pooling at the corner of his mouth. Levi stared at it, transfixed. “I think… I might be bleeding,” Erwin whispered, the movement of his lips snapping Levi’s gaze up for a second. Erwin stared back, and it was only then that Levi saw the dark glimmer in his eye, and felt a hand at the small of his back.

“Let me kiss you,” Erwin repeated, drawing him close, leaning forward- and the ache inside Levi- in his cock, in his chest, in his very bones- was too much to resist.

He lunged forward, hands on Erwin’s shoulders, knocking him back and pinning him to the floor. Erwin groaned beneath him. He pushed his face down, tongue flicking over Erwin’s lips. Tasting them. Salty. Metallic. A tingle lit his lips. Magic. Levi could feel it, buzzing a little, flickering in the edges of his senses like the firelight. His mouth opened. His lips curled back. His fangs bared-

Erwin’s neck craned up and his mouth met Levi’s in a soft, open kiss. And Levi melted into it.

The taste of Erwin’s blood on his lips, Levi gave in. He kissed back, pressing his tongue into Erwin’s mouth. Seeking out the traces of blood, licking them from Erwin’s mouth, he lowered their heads back to the rug. Tangy. Bitter. The flavors mixed, the heady rush of the magic in Erwin’s blood going straight to Levi’s cock. He sighed, almost a moan, as Erwin’s tongue passed over the points of his fangs. They drew razor-thin trails of blood, lacing their kiss with it, filling Levi’s head with lust. His cock throbbed. He rutted to relieve it, grinding himself on Erwin’s abdomen, feeling the sweater’s plush knit against his chest.

As their kiss broke for air, Levi’s teeth snagged on Erwin’s lip. They tugged- gently, then rough, pricking points into it, breaking tender skin that he sucked into his mouth. Blood. Blood. Blood. It thrummed in Levi’s body, quickening his pulse and lighting him from within. He licked over Erwin’s lips. Kissing him, reveling in it as Erwin kissed back. It felt so good. And it tasted better than anything he’d ever known. Full of life. Full of magic. As red as wine, glistening where it dripped, past Erwin’s chin and down along his jawline when Levi pulled back.

Standing out against Erwin’s skin, turning to ruby where the firelight caught it, Levi watched the thin crimson trail as it crept down to Erwin’s neck.

“Sh-shit!” He caught himself. “Shit. Fuck. Erwin. I didn’t mean to-” he sat up with a start.

“Levi. Hey, Levi, it’s fine,” Erwin assured, his hands coming up and smoothing over Levi’s thighs. “It’s fine,” he repeated, then, raising a brow in a rakish smile he added, “Don’t stop.”

“But-” Levi started, then stopped, swallowing his protest as Erwin’s ground his hips up, pushing the bulge in his jeans into Levi. “Tch- your sweater will get dirty,” he muttered.

“MMhmm, help me out then?” Erwin grinned, lifting his chin and craning his neck for Levi to see. A long line of blood had already run halfway down it, another streaking over his cheek to pool by his earlobe. His Adam’s apple bobbed, tendons standing out against muscle. Levi licked his lips, feeling the length of his fangs behind them.

“Fuck. Yes,” he answered, leaning down to clean the blood from Erwin’s skin. Small sweeps of his tongue, careful and exact, lifted the blood from Erwin’s throat. Savoring every drop, he kissed his way up to Erwin’s chin, to his mouth, then back down the side of his face. His nose brushing Erwin’s cheek, following the rusty sweet scent of iron. He placed wet kisses as he went, Erwin’s sighs and the squeeze of his hands on Levi’s thighs as delicious as his blood. His tongue flicked by Erwin’s earlobe, eliciting a shiver that turned to a throaty rumble as Levi pressed closer, sucking lightly at the skin. He moved back to Erwin’s mouth, easing his weight off the man beneath him and letting them both sit back up as they continued to kiss- an imperfect, almost messy thing as they alternated between caresses and Levi’s attempts to catch the errant drips that oozed from the bite on Erwin’s lip.

Levi’s fingers stole back under Erwin’s sweater, easing it up as they sought the warmth of his chest. It was the same warmth that was building in him- from the cheerful fire, from Erwin’s embrace, from the glow of drinking in the magic in Erwin’s lifeblood. They continued to kiss, lips drawn to each other time and time again, reluctant to part, even as Levi pushed Erwin’s sweater up under his arms. Sliding a hand up under the creamy knit, Levi held it away from Erwin’s mouth as he raised his arms and tugged it off.

“That’s better,” Levi commented. “But I’m still the only one naked here.”

“I can fix that, but you’ll have to stand up.”

“…fine,” Levi groused, his complaint more that he’d have to leave the warmth of Erwin’s lap than anything else. Reluctantly he stood, stretched, then wandered over to the fireplace while Erwin got up. But when he didn’t hear the sounds of Erwin undressing, he turned, frowning a little to see Erwin already halfway across the room and heading toward the kitchen with his jeans still on. “Where are you going?”

“Be right back. Just wait a second.”

“You better not be getting popcorn or some shit,” Levi shot after him. “I said I didn’t want to watch anything and we’re kind of in the middle of something already.”

“I’m getting lube,” Erwin called back from inside the kitchen to the swishing sound of cardboard boxes opening and closing.

“Oh,” Levi muttered, “who the fuck keeps lube in the kitchen…” then, “Oh!-” he blurted as Erwin reappeared. Standing in the doorway, leaning casually on its frame, the man stood in all his naked glory. And god, was it glorious, Levi thought, taking in every inch of Erwin’s body from bare head to toe and right back up for good measure. “Ohhh…” he groaned, unable to keep his arousal at bay. Erwin was exactly as he’d imagined- tall, thick- every part of him. The pajama pants hadn’t lied for a second; neither had the hint of chest hair peeking over the top of Erwin’s undershirts. If anything they’d both been too humble. Every inch of the man was larger than life, dusted with gold, almost glowing in the firelight’s play.

“Fuck me,” Levi whispered.

“I fully intend to,” Erwin retorted with a playful wave of the bottle of lube in his hand. Without warning he tossed it to Levi. Acting on the flash of instinct Levi’s left hand shot out, grabbing it from the air. “Nice catch,” Erwin grinned, closing the distance between them before Levi could finish staring. His hand came up, brushing Levi’s cheek, tilting his chin up as he bent to kiss him. Once, chaste, barely more than a graze, skin touched skin. In slow motion, Levi felt the moment stretch. Two points of contact. Warm. Electric. Kindling desire under his skin. Desire for closeness. For touch. For Erwin’s body pressed next to his. Levi’s arms came up as the kiss ended, folding around Erwin’s neck, catching him tight and pulling him down until their lips met fully. He pressed himself to Erwin- to his broad chest, his taut abdomen, the hardness of his cock, and the solidness of his legs.

He felt Erwin’s arms encircle him in response, winding around his back, pulling him up, pulling him in. Straining up to the tips of his toes even as Erwin leaned down and down, their mouths found each other. Kisses almost like bites, hurried and hungry, their mismatched heights made it impossible to draw them out. Not with the blind need between them. Grasping and tugging at each other, they sank to the floor, finally settling in the position they’d found before- Levi straddling Erwin’s lap. It solved the problem of distance. Levi’s legs could wrap around Erwin’s sturdy back. His hands could splay over the silk shining on Erwin’s chest. His teeth could skim, and scratch- leaving fine, thin lines of white that darkened pink as his kisses traveled down Erwin’s neck.

“Levi,” Erwin moaned and swallowed. The motion pressed his skin to Levi’s fangs, its slight pressure enough- pearls of red welling from the tracks left by Levi’s teeth. He licked them as they bloomed, individual drops smearing, coppery and fresh. He pressed his lips to the scratches. They tasted of Erwin. Everything he wanted. But he couldn’t- he shouldn’t- “Levi, bite me,” Erwin urged. “I know you want to. Bite me.”

“It’s- okay?” Levi muttered hazily into his neck, “it won’t-”

“It won’t. Bite me. For real this time. I’ve been waiting.”

“Waiting…” Levi’s voice cracked and broke. With a sigh that was almost a sob, he opened his mouth, fangs settling on Erwin’s neck. He had been waiting, too. So long. Too long. His mouth closed. He bit down.

The skin broke. And Erwin didn’t pull away. He didn’t so much as flinch. Instead, he groaned as the thick, tangy taste of blood filled Levi’s senses and he began to drink. Rich and heady, coating his tongue, Erwin’s blood burnt a pleasant trail down his throat as he swallowed and stoked a fire in his belly. It tasted better than anything he’d ever sampled. All the flavors he craved, familiar ones that stirred an ancient hunger, and ancient instinct, and more. Other notes, deeper, stranger, making it impossible not to suck and lick at the punctures on the base of Erwin’s neck. Its pull, its magnetism, only made him want more. He could taste it- magic, tingling through his nerves, raising goosebumps on his skin, making his cock pulse and throb, his need suddenly so much more urgent. He moaned, shifting in Erwin’s lap, grinding his hips down, pressing his cock toward Erwin’s stomach. He tried to rut, tried to bite, his cock pushing Erwin’s only briefly before skipping to the side against its hardness, his teeth barely finding skin as his overeager tongue lapped at Erwin’s neck.

In his growing frenzy of lust, Levi didn’t notice when the bottle of lube was eased from his fingers. He barely heard Erwin’s deep moans, his occasional gasps. He didn’t even realize, pushing his chest against Erwin’s, driving his hips in rolling thrusts into Erwin’s lap, the thick fingers stroking over his ass until they rubbed up between his cheeks. Slick and seeking, they brushed over his hole as Levi’s head shot up.

“Jesus, fuck-” he gasped, hands clutching at Erwin’s chest.

“Mmmm. Levi,” Erwin soothed by his ear, fingers rubbing firmer, massaging him. “Levi. You’re… sensitive…” he murmured, tracing Levi’s hole as shivers jittered up Levi’s back.

“Fuck. Fuck. It’s your- damn blood-” Levi panted as Erwin continued to tease his entrance, slippery fingertips drawing agonizingly slow circles. “Stop fucking around and finger me already,” he growled, trying to jam his ass back into Erwin’s touch.

“Yes, _Captain_ ,” Erwin responded. Levi’s breath shuddered in his lungs, a bolt of arousal flashing through him. Hearing the old title now, in Erwin’s husky voice, from kiss-swollen lips, did something to him he couldn’t name. When he felt insistent fingers push inside him seconds later, he rocked back on them, pressing them deeper with a groan. They were thick, much thicker than his own, reminding him how big every part of Erwin was- and he loved it. The fullness was good; Erwin’s fingers were skilled. They stroked and rubbed inside him, spreading lubricant generously, reaching deep as his back arched.

“Come on, you’re close,” he urged, “just a little mo- Aahhh!” he cried out, hands scrabbling up to Erwin’s shoulders to steady himself as fingers stroked over his prostate. “Oh- do that- again-” he choked out, the pleas turning to a guttural moan as Erwin’s fingers found their mark and massaged the firm spot within. “Fuck. Feels. Good,” Levi managed, hips pumping in Erwin’s lap, smearing the precum leaking from their cocks over their abdomens. Erwin’s fingers found a rhythm Levi matched, back and forth, rubbing over his prostate, slick noises signaling each new jolt of pleasure.

Bending down, Levi rested his forehead on Erwin’s shoulder. His breaths came uneven, their timing interrupted and redirected by Erwin’s touch. Back and forth, in and out, his body rocked softly with it as he tried to regain his bearings. Erwin was solid beneath him. Anchoring him. From the corner of his eye he could see it. The shine of blood, dripping, pooling by Erwin’s collarbone, running down his chest. The crisp lines were already smudged, prints transferred and left, on Erwin’s side, near his nipple, on Levi’s hands and body too. Its scent pricked in his nostrils. His cock pulsed. His tongue flicked out, lapping at the salty liquid, drawn to the places where the blood clung, collected- thick and dark. His mouth traced the ridge of Erwin’s clavicle, broken groans of pleasure escaping between his lips and Erwin’s skin, each one marking the plunge of slippery fingers deep inside him.

“I want you,” Levi murmured hazily. “All of you.” His hand felt between them, fingers brushing blindly in silky hair- matted, and sticky, and warm. Finding what he sought, he clutched at Erwin’s cock, holding its thick shaft fast as he groped with his other hand for the bottle of lube. “God, I knew you’d be fucking big, but- shit.” With a wet sound Erwin’s fingers left him. “Dammit. The hell?” he swore, gripping Erwin’s cock tight in protest.

“Aaaughhh,” Erwin groaned beneath him. “Here.” He pressed the bottle of lube into Levi’s open palm. “Please. Do it. Quick. I can’t wait any lon-” Erwin cut himself off with a long groan, his head falling back heavily when Levi’s slick fingers wrapped around his length and started to stroke.

Up and over the head, then all the way down to its base, Levi spread lubricant down the flushed length of Erwin’s cock, muttering, “Shit. You’re dripping. I’m dripping. We probably don’t even fucking need this much, but-”

“But?” Erwin gasped, hips bucking to Levi’s hand as the muscles in his abdomen jumped.

“Nevermind.”

“Huh?” Erwin looked up, staring at him now, hoping for an answer. Levi’s nose wrinkled in a passing frown. “But?” Erwin repeated, fixing him with eyes darkened by lust.

“…it’s been a while,” Levi admitted, lifting his hips off Erwin’s lap, guiding his cock until it pressed between the cheeks of his ass.

“How long?”

“Too long.”

“Same for me. Too long,” Erwin breathed, as their gazes snagged and caught, grey eyes locking on blue. Levi paused, the head of Erwin’s cock pressed lightly to his asshole, thighs straining to keep him aloft. Erwin’s styled hair was messy- its blond strands tousled and damp, darkened with perspiration where they stuck to his forehead. His eyes were dark in the firelight, pupils blown wide. His lip was swollen, puffed and pink where Levi’s teeth had cut it. His neck and shoulder were streaked with blood, dark bruises already blooming just under stained skin.

It was a sight that made Levi’s whole body clench- irresistible, perfect.

And Levi was done waiting.

He sunk down, Erwin’s cock pressing against his hole, stretching it for a long moment until he bit his lip and bore down. The tightness of his body gave way just enough. A sharp exhale burst from his lungs. Erwin’s cock pushed inside. Stretching him, filling him, driving deeper as he forced himself back on it, ignoring the twinge in his lower back and the slight burn in favor of feeling every inch inside him as quickly as possible. Sinking down until he’d taken Erwin’s cock to its root, he reveled in the guttural moan that escaped the other man’s throat, feeling it shake him to the core.

“Oh God,” Erwin almost pleaded, fumbling until his hands found Levi’s ass. “You feel- so good. God, you feel good, Levi.” Only able to nod, Levi’s hips traced slow circles in Erwin’s lap, savoring the feeling of fullness shifting inside him. “Ah-” Erwin’s breath caught, “Ahhhh, you’re- tight-” he whined, the words cut off as Levi’s strong thighs flexed, lifting him halfway up Erwin’s length.

“Ohhh,” Erwin gasped, hands gripping Levi’s cheeks tight, spreading them as he squeezed. “I didn’t mean- don’t stop-” Levi kept going, pulling back until only the head of Erwin’s cock strained inside him, ready to bounce free should he go any further. Erwin’s fingers dug deeper, grabbing handfuls of his ass, and Levi let himself be pulled right back down to Erwin’s lap in their greed. “So- good- you’re so good-” Erwin repeated as his hips bucked up to meet Levi.

The wild motion thrust him deep, Erwin’s thick cock rubbing right over the same spot he’d teased earlier with his fingers. It sent a raw tremor that thrilled through Levi. His full ass squeezed on Erwin’s shaft, the brief memory of pain already replaced by pleasure. Erwin’s arms wrapped around him, clutching him close. In sync, they began to move, Levi’s muscles tightening as they flexed, Erwin’s hands helping lift and guide him.

It felt good. So good. Feeling Erwin slip from him, drive back into him, and rub inside him just right as he adjusted the angle of his torso. Erwin’s cock was slick, easy to ride despite its girth, and Levi set the pace as his momentum built. The flexing and slackening of his muscles evened in rhythm, Erwin’s upward thrusts matching perfectly. Driving into and past his prostate, lighting his insides with spreading warmth, Levi bounced in Erwin’s lap, his head lolling forward to rest on Erwin’s shoulder as his partner groaned out each thrust. Strung together by a litany of nonsensical praises- “Levi- more- so hot- want you-” the deep, wordless cries shook Levi’s body. They hummed in his bones like a pulse. Like the pulse he could feel, around, inside him, under him, through his fingers and through his eardrums, Erwin’s heartbeat pounding in his head.

He opened his mouth, not thinking, only doing, he bit. And bit. Again and again, sinking his fangs into flesh, feeling the blood well warm, dripping down against his lips. Slick. Hot. Magic and pleasure. Littering bites over Erwin’s body, licking the shallow wounds left by his teeth, bouncing up and down on Erwin’s cock, he finally let himself go.

“Oh- AaaaAAAhhh- Levi!” Erwin’s cries were like music, punctuated by the beat of their bodies slapping as they met. He fell into them, onto them, their sound as beguiling as the coppery taste of Erwin on his tongue. It made him go fast, made him want more, made his breaths stick in his throat and come out in stuttering gasps. Chasing the feeling was all he could think, all he could want- the roughness of Erwin’s cock filling him, the pleasure being rubbed into his body, the jolt of his own cock bobbing heavy and smacking Erwin’s hot abdomen.

“Ahhhh- Erwin! Fu-” When Erwin’s hips jerked up at the end of a thrust they broke his exclamation in two. Filled suddenly, unexpectedly, the bliss of it almost stung. Dazed, the pattern of his motion fell apart. “Erwin. Fuck me. Erwin. Please. Again,” Levi moaned, mouthing at Erwin’s neck, his legs flexing as he rose from Erwin’s lap. The long moment at the top of his course, taut thighs shaking with effort, was almost more than he could bear. But then Erwin’s hands gripped his hips. They pushed him down. His legs gave way. And Erwin thrust up to meet him, finally, fucking him deep, finally.

Their new pace was ragged. Groans and sighs blended together. Desperate bursts of energy that pumped their veins full of adrenaline, turning their nerves jangling and raw. Some distant part of Levi knew he couldn’t keep it up long. It was too hard, too fast. He’d be sore- and he was getting close. But he didn’t care. All he cared about was forcing his thighs to lift him up again. Letting himself collapse back down again. Feeling the joy of Erwin’s cock. Kissing the salt from Erwin’s skin. Listening to the velvet of Erwin’s voice. Through the haze and heat of lust Levi felt Erwin touch him, thick fingers catching his throbbing cock and wrapping around it. Working his length, Levi’s precum slicking his palm, Erwin sobbed out a broken plea.

“Levi- I-I won’t last. Come- come for me.”

He hadn’t needed to say anything. Erwin’s hand on him, fondling him clumsily between their sweat-damp bodies was more than enough for that. But his words plucked at Levi’s core, their sound irresistibly sweet. And Levi was there. All at once, the tension building in him snapped. His thighs giving out, mouth opening in a low cry, cock pulsing as his body shook. Erwin kept thrusting, driving pleasure through him as he came. Erwin’s release was right on the heels of his own, warmth bursting inside him as he held on tight, his own cock spurting again weakly in response. He rode out the last of their orgasms, body twitching and seizing as Erwin continued to rock into him until they were both spent.

Clinging together, their bodies pressed so close there was barely room to breathe, on the floor by the glowing warmth of the fire, they rested against each other. Only able to stay upright by relying on the other’s strength, they let their heartbeats calm. Time passed in the flicker of flames, undulating over their skin, lighting it in patterns that never stilled. The sweat from their exertion dried on their brows, evaporated by the fire’s warmth, as their grip on each other eased.

Levi rose slowly, hands pressing on Erwin’s shoulders, and letting Erwin help him up. His softened cock slipped from Levi’s body, but the emptiness he’d anticipated didn’t come. Levi still felt warm, full, satisfied in a way he hadn’t in years. And when Erwin looked up at him, the glow of bliss still radiating from his skin, he felt himself melt.

“Will you stay with me tonight, Levi?” Erwin’s voice creaked from use. His hair stuck up at odd angles. Covered in sweat and drying blood and Levi’s cum, he was a mess.

He was the most sharply beautiful thing Levi had ever seen.

“Okay. Yeah,” Levi agreed.

It didn’t matter that he hadn’t prepared for it. It didn’t matter that he hadn’t done this with anyone in decades. It didn’t even matter that he probably wouldn’t sleep a wink of the night anyway.

Because he’d found someone who could bear his love, with all its violence, and still ask him to stay.


	12. Blue Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erwin and Levi enjoy the hard-won spoils of each other's company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, at the last chapter! I hope everyone reading enjoys my take on the vampire!Levi and mage!Erwin AU. I had a lot of fun writing it <3
> 
> Please note that this chapter contains more biting/mild blood play.

Erwin slept like the dead. He awoke, pleasantly groggy, to the watery sunlight of a late winter’s dawn. A shock of dark hair on the pillow close in his vision, he realized slowly that the bulkiness under the covers next to him had to be Levi. He had decided to stay, Erwin reminded himself, sleepily willing his heavy body to move. Under the blankets he shifted, wrapping Levi into his arms, burying his nose in soft black hair as he pressed his lips to Levi’s forehead.

“Mmmhm,” Levi protested halfheartedly, even as he curled himself towards Erwin’s warmth. “Is it morning?” he wondered, his eyes already open, the tired creases and dark marks around them softened by his stillness. He was wearing something, Erwin realized, missing the smoothness of Levi’s skin against his fingers. What he felt instead was soft, woolen, with long lines of knit that he stroked down Levi’s back, delighting when his fingers felt skin where the curve of Levi’s ass met his legs.

“Yes. It’s morning. Did you sleep well?”

“Not really,” Levi grumbled, “vampires are nocturnal.”

“Ah, I should have realized,” Erwin admitted. A brief pang of misgiving came and went, the bed too comfortable and stroking Levi’s pert ass too delectable to let it last long. “Are you wearing my sweater?” Erwin smiled, the familiarity of the fabric brushing over the back of his hand bringing the realization to him. The thought of Levi in his white sweater bubbled up a glow of fondness in his chest. It was amusing, and cute- but it was also more than enough to wake up another part of him. Reflexively he gripped Levi’s ass, its firmness satisfying in his hand.

“I got cold last night,” Levi explained.

“I would have been happy to warm you up.” Erwin leaned down, nosing Levi’s cheek until his pointed chin turned up to accept a kiss. Tender and languid, their lips met. Alighting and resting, barely parting, they kissed with their faces almost touching, Erwin too lazy from the sleep still clinging to him to do more despite his growing desire. “Unless you don’t like cuddling?” he prompted.

“I’m kind of used to… sleeping alone,” Levi admitted. He returned Erwin’s kisses though, letting himself be drawn in to Erwin’s chest, until Erwin felt the sweater graze his stomach. “Maybe next time?” he murmured. Erwin sighed his agreement, opening his mouth as Levi’s lips parted. He licked into Levi’s mouth, kissing him deeper as he pulled Levi’s hips to him, rolling against them. He could feel the knit of his sweater, rubbing against his naked body, then a moment later he felt something more. More pressure, poking gently at him, as Levi pushed his groin forward. It made him groan and sigh again, knowing his arousal was returned as they rutted lazily between slow kisses. He didn’t even mind when he felt sharp knees dig into his thighs and the chill of Levi’s bare toes skim up his shins.

“Hard already?” Erwin teased instead, finally pulling back to admire his partner.

“Like you’re not.”

“Oh, I am,” Erwin assured him to an almost exasperated shake of Levi’s head.

The other man shrugged out of his arms and sat up, looking down at Erwin as he spoke, “I know, dumbass. You’ve been jabbing me in the ribs with it all morning. Just when I was finally ready to sleep, too…” The corners of Levi’s mouth tugged down, thin brows pinching together in a frown Erwin couldn’t help but find endearing- especially with the too-large cut of his sweater slouching down Levi’s shoulders. The shoulder seams fell past where they were made to, partway down Levi’s upper arms. Even pushed up the sleeves almost covered Levi’s hands. The overall effect had Erwin utterly charmed.

He gazed at Levi, too enraptured to break the spell with words. His cream sweater was far too large for Levi’s frame, yet in other ways it perfectly suited his looks. The turtleneck gapped at its folded collar, showing off the tendons angling down the thick column of Levi’s throat. Extra knit folded by his elbows, Levi’s fingers looked small and thin where they peeked from the ends of the sleeves. The hem fell past Levi’s hips, settling over his thighs, and Erwin couldn’t help but stare at the shadow cast by the band of plush knit on pale skin smattered with black hair. He wanted badly to touch it, to lift it, to follow the dark hair up to where it gathered thick between Levi’s legs. His bulky sweater tented obviously at Levi’s groin, and for a moment Erwin was torn between relishing the possessive pride of seeing Levi wearing his clothing and the erotic possibility of undressing him all over again.

“Has anyone ever told you how sexy you are?” Erwin mused, looking up at Levi sitting above him. The small scowl on the man’s face faltered.

“Oi- cut it out with that sappy shit,” Levi grumbled, but Erwin could see the hints of a blush heating the sides of his neck when his head ducked down.

“Well, you are, Levi,” Erwin grinned, spreading a hand over the muscle of Levi’s leg. “You’re incredibly sexy.” Stroking back and forth, mussing and smoothing the grain of dark hairs, he let his fingers wander. “I mean, can you really blame me for being hard- sleeping next to a man like you? After we-” Thoughts of the previous night washed over Erwin, going straight to his cock, making him swallow on the rest of his words as he stifled a gasp. His fingers tensed, squeezing the supple flesh of Levi’s inner thigh. Levi’s answering groan above was more than enough to justify the arousal he could no longer ignore, and Erwin rolled onto his side, grabbing at Levi’s hips and tugging him closer. With little resistance he guided the smaller man up until Levi eased one leg over to sit on his bare chest.

The view was exquisite. Levi’s legs splayed on him, the sweater riding up his thighs but still covering where his cock strained at it. Knit cables running down Levi’s chest and sides, draping the compact muscle of his form as Erwin gazed at his sharp features from below. “Turn around,” Erwin cued, shrugging away the confused look Levi shot down at him.

“What? I thought? You wanted me to sit-”

“I do. On my face,” Erwin corrected. “Now turn around, Captain, so I can eat your hot little ass…”

“Wha-?”

“…for breakfast,” Erwin licked his lips and winked up at him as Levi opened and closed his mouth.

“That’s the fucking lamest line I’ve heard in three hundred years,” he muttered finally as he rose to his knees. As he turned, the glimpse of flushed skin climbing his neck all the way to the stubble of his undercut drew a chuckle from Erwin that he didn’t even bother to hide. And the flash of everything hidden under the sweater’s knit- from balls to butt- as Levi positioned himself again changed the chuckle into a throaty growl.

“Come closer,” Erwin urged, taking Levi’s hips in his hands and guiding them back as he slid down the bed. His groping fingers pulled at the sweater, locating the hem and pushing it up to bare the curve of Levi’s ass while he adjusted a pillow under his head. “That’s it,” he hummed, “that’s just right-” he spread his hands generously over Levi’s firm cheeks, thrilling when he found that they fit perfectly. “Oh, Levi-” he sighed, squeezing and kneading the muscles pliant before he spread them. “Ahhhh-” he moaned at the sight of Levi’s hole- pink and tight, its pucker lightly swollen. Running his thumb down Levi’s crack he stroked the pale skin above it, pausing when Levi flinched.

“You ok? Sore?”

“Yeah. Kind of,” Levi admitted, relaxing slowly as Erwin’s fingers played fluttering touches over his entrance. “But in a good wa- -ay -aahhHH,” he added, back arching while Erwin rubbed the pad of his thumb in a circle, tracing the edge of his hole. “Fuuuuuck,” he groaned, rocking back to meet Erwin’s hand. Erwin indulged him for a moment, pressing down, massaging the sensitive skin, teasing him, before lifting his hand away. Levi followed it back, exactly as Erwin had hoped, pushing his ass closer to Erwin’s face in little bumps and nudges. As sexy as it was, Erwin couldn’t bear to watch for long, Levi’s obvious need and his aching desire to fulfill it pulling Erwin forward with a kind of magnetism he was powerless to resist.

Pushing his nose into the crack of Levi’s ass, his tongue flicked past Levi’s cheeks. A yelp of surprise jerked Levi up and away. “Ah- Erwin! Geez- your stubble!” 

“You don’t like it?”

“No- I-” Erwin pulled Levi back, licking over the meat of his ass cheek, nipping it lightly before rubbing his chin across its curve. “F-Fuu- aAAA-AhHHh-h” Levi stammered, the curse breaking into a gravelly moan as Erwin scraped his jaw in swaths over Levi’s ass. He soothed the wake of reddened skin with open kisses and playful bites, brushing and grinding his stubble generously over both his partner’s cheeks as Levi’s noises spurred him on. They drove him deeper, his lips and chin eliciting even sweeter sounds as he nosed into Levi’s crack and arched his neck to rub the tender spots within.

“Ah- ah- ahhh- Erwin!” Levi pleaded, his ass bouncing against Erwin’s face. Each time his cheeks or chin scraped over tender flesh Levi pulled away. But each time he came back, pressing his ass closer, burying more of Erwin’s nose between his cheeks, letting Erwin’s stubble prickle deeper. Getting ever closer, and then almost there, indulging Levi even as he teased, Erwin forced his head off the pillow. Cutting short Levi’s motion to meet him halfway, he opened his mouth. “Erw- aaAAAHHHHhh” Levi’s surprised exclamation melted into a long groan as Erwin’s tongue slid between his cheeks, licking wet against his rim. The jerks of protest gone, Levi sank back, letting Erwin lick him.

His prize in his hands, Erwin couldn’t be content enjoying just one part. The slick strokes of his tongue roved over Levi’s skin. He finally had Levi spread out over him. The need that rose- to kiss everything, to taste everything in reach- was already beginning to drive him wild. He let the sounds of Levi’s voice guide him. The way he gasped when Erwin licked over his hole. The way he shuddered when Erwin lapped between spread cheeks. Even the unbroken string of curses that accompanied Erwin’s head as he tilted it down to get as close to Levi’s balls as he could reach was music to his ears. And licking Levi’s ass, grinding his chin into the sparse hair on either side of taut balls, going over and back while he chased the sweet sounds coming from his lover was intoxicating. He shifted his hips, the sheets tugging at the weight of his full cock. He’d gotten hard- so hard, just listening to Levi. He’d almost forgotten his goal. “Erwin. Fuck. Erwin. Please,” Levi chanted, his appeals snapping Erwin from his reverie- reminding him what he’d wanted to do all along.

But there was no need to rush. Kissing his way back up, Erwin lavished attention on every inch. He sucked kisses into damp, pale skin, leaving it pink and flushed. He let his tongue work, pressing, then flitting by spots that drew sweet groans from Levi that he couldn’t help but answer. By the time he set to licking Levi’s hole, both their cheeks were glistening wet, slippery where his fingers stroked into Levi’s crack. Pressing his lips to tight skin, he let his tongue flick out. Levi’s sighs were thick as honey, dripping from him as Erwin mouthed at his rim. He licked, sucked, teased, then pressed, probing gently, until the pink ring of muscle gave way.

Levi tasted the way he smelled- manly, sensual. And Erwin breathed him in, plunged his tongue deeper, pulled Levi’s weight down as he licked into him. The husky moans, the little jolts and jumps of Levi’s hips, and the warm skin pressed to his face put Erwin into almost as much of a frenzy as the man above him. He kissed and sucked, closing his lips on Levi, dragging him closer, straining to meet him even as Levi pushed back against his nose and the pillow. He licked Levi soft and pliant, licked his hole open, licked until Levi’s groans had turned to cries and his tongue was no longer enough to fill his lover’s need.

Slicking two fingers with spit, Erwin worked them in beside his tongue. His body loosened, already relaxed, Levi took them easily. He rutted back onto them, even, his eagerness making Erwin’s belly clench. Making him moan against Levi’s hole. Making him push his fingers in until they found the firm swell that tore a keening wail from Levi’s throat above him. The sound shot through Erwin’s veins, his cock throbbing in sympathetic longing. And he wanted badly to hear it again. Pressing his fingers back in as he kissed at Levi’s rim, he found the spot more easily the second time. This time Levi’s cry was deeper, almost rough, when it burst from Levi’s throat. Erwin leaned into it, pressing his nose to Levi’s ass, massaging over Levi’s prostate.

He bore down, lost in the music of Levi’s pleasure, when a jolt of pain made him gasp. Short nails dug into his chest, the discomfort turning to thrill as Levi grabbed at him. Erwin groaned, mouth open, his pectorals tightening in response. He eased his fingers back, licking them as they came free, before pushing them wetly back in to the delight of small, strong hands grasping at his chest. Building a rhythm as he fingered Levi, sliding out and thrusting in enough to stroke and knead the firmness inside him, Erwin found his own desire growing. The heat of Levi’s ass pushed against him as he rode Erwin’s fingers and sought his tongue. Levi’s insides clenched on him, matching the thrust of his fingers, marking each time they swept over his prostate. The hints of pain excited him as Levi fisted his chest hair in handfuls and tugged. The taste of Levi filled his senses, making his cock ache, making his thighs tight, making his hips buck up to nothing, unconsciously mimicking the pace of Levi’s weight bouncing on his face.

Regaining his senses in a gasping second as nails raked stinging trails over his chest, Erwin’s head fell back. Levi hovered above him, panting, whimpering, Erwin’s fingers paused halfway in. His hole was reddened, swollen slightly even where it stretched around Erwin’s fingers, oversensitive from use.

Erwin felt a primal growl rise in his throat, something possessive rousing inside him. He’d done this to Levi. Put him in this state. His cock the night before, the rough stubble on his face, his lips, and now his fingers had all made their demands. It was all him. He’d left Levi sweating, quivering, almost shouting out his need. He’d fucked him, and teased him, and now he wanted -no _needed_ \- to satisfy him.

“Levi,” Erwin uttered, his voice creaking, “touch yourself.”

“Huh?”

“Touch yourself. I want you to cum.”

“Mm-uughhhh, fuck,” Levi grunted, shifting his weight to grab his cock. He gave it a few tugs, quick harsh ones, before he paused, looking down at Erwin over his shoulder. “Well? Don’t stop,” he said with a lopsided grin. “It’ll be shit to just jack off after your fingers felt so fucking good.”

“Like this?” Erwin smiled placidly, dragging his fingers out slowly, until only their very tips remained inside Levi’s hole.

“Yeah. C’mon. Don’t be an ass.”

“How about like this?” Erwin grinned, slipping a third finger in next to the other two and pushing them all in.

“Ohhhh- F- FUCK!” Levi gasped, shaking thighs giving out as he sank down on Erwin’s face. His hips rolled, grinding back as Erwin pressed into him. He tugged clumsily at his cock, back arching when Erwin’s lips found him. He moaned and cried out as Erwin’s fingers moved inside him, “Yes! Fuck! Erwin!” His insides tightened, stretched near their limit even as Erwin licked desperately at him. “Ahh, don’t stop-” he cried, his hand moving fast on his cock as Erwin’s fingers found the spot deep inside him and rubbed. “E-Er-wiiin- I’m- AhhHHHHHHH!” his ass bouncing, the wet swipes of Erwin’s tongue wild over his skin, Levi’s whole body shuddered his climax, hot streaks of cum painting Erwin’s bare chest and stomach as his body pulsed.

Erwin’s mouth and fingers worked Levi through his orgasm. Until his muscles stopped twitching, until his hoarse voice quieted, until he no longer felt the warm after-shocks dribbling from Levi’s cock onto his skin. He inched his fingers free, lazily kissing wherever his mouth landed. The fervor of Levi’s pleasure spent, Erwin felt himself almost floating, borne along hazily by the embers of his partner’s fading glow. He’d wrapped himself so thoroughly in Levi’s anticipation, bound himself so tightly to his gratification, that when Levi eased off him and settled by his side he hardly noticed until he felt the pressure of Levi’s sharp chin resting on his chest.

Lifting his head, Erwin looked down. Levi gazed up at him, dark eyes heavy-lidded, thin fingers tracing up, smearing the red lines he’d scratched into Erwin’s skin.

“You’re bleeding,” he commented quietly, lifting a red-stained finger to his lips and licking its tip. “Sorry. About that.”

“Sorry?” Erwin asked, bemused, watching as Levi’s eyes darkened, pupils widening as they trained on the scratches. Dark droplets like pinpricks laced along the marks. His head dipped down, his mouth opened, and Erwin saw the flash of teeth- two bright, white fangs hiding behind his lips. Erwin braced himself for the bite, anticipating stinging pain, hoping it would melt into the incredible pleasure he’d experienced the night before.

But the bite didn’t come. Levi stopped. Closed his eyes. Shuddered out a breath before he opened them, and looked back up at Erwin. His fingers left the scratches on Erwin’s chest. They fluttered tentative up to his neck, barely brushing the skin. It ached anyway. Tender, bruised, the previous night’s bites were sore where Levi’s fingers stroked them. It was a good feeling, though, like being loved too fiercely. Erwin shivered, Levi’s fingers plucking at his heart where they played over his collarbone and neck. “I’m- Sorry about these, too,” Levi murmured.

“Don’t be,” Erwin answered, catching Levi’s hand and covering it with his own. “I don’t mind. Really.”

Levi arched an eyebrow, worrying his lip between his teeth. “You’re… sure?”

“I am.”

The only reply Erwin got was a nod, the weight of Levi’s chin pressing into his sternum. “Well, I guess it’s okay. You look fine now, at least. I was worried, you know.” Levi added, “last night.”

“About?”

“I bit you… a lot. Too much, I think. Couldn’t help it, but-”

“But I asked you to.”

“…still.”

Erwin’s hand squeezed on Levi’s fingers. For once, they felt warm. The rest of Levi was warm too, from his thighs nudging Erwin’s hip to his toes skimming Erwin’s calves. Lying in his bed, wearing his sweater, resting on his chest, Levi looked relaxed, happy even. And Erwin knew he wanted it to always be this way. He sighed. “Levi. If I couldn’t handle a few love bites I would have run the second I knew what you were. Besides, I’ve got a few magic tricks up my sleeve as well.”

“Magic tricks?” Levi drawled, tilting his head.

“I cooked up a potion. Or two. Or maybe more like ten. Needless to say I did a little research… and…”

“A potion,” Levi wondered, eyes widening as he began to appreciate Erwin’s explanation. “So that’s why- I swore I bit you more than- I couldn’t even really stop- And it felt almost like I’d taken some kind… some kind of…”

“Aphrodisiac?” Erwin grinned.

“That shit doesn’t exist,” Levi shook his head, dismissing the idea. When Erwin didn’t respond, he snuck a glance back up at him. “I was just hungry,” he insisted, “and your blood tastes really good… or… shit. Does it?”

A deep chuckle rolled from Erwin’s throat, Levi’s suspicious look too endearing to prevent its escape. “Maybe. That wasn’t actually the potion’s intent. It was only meant to make my blood cells divide quickly, replenishing themselves as needed. But I have to admit… I felt it too. Maybe there’s a side effect? Or maybe we’re just meant for each other.”

Levi gave a small snort. “Either way, that was a pretty big risk.”

“Oh, I don’t know. I wanted to do it. I wanted to see the real Levi. I’m glad I did. It was well worth it- and, also… hot as hell.” Erwin hand lifted Levi’s, clasping fingers he guided up from where they’d rested against his neck. As he raised Levi’s fingertips to his face, he noticed Levi’s eyes on him. Following the motion. Watching his mouth. Erwin’s lips parted. His tongue slipped out. It touched Levi’s knuckle, rolled over it, licked along the finger’s length. As Levi watched, Erwin tasted: skin, then salt, then iron. Kissing the crimson stains from the tips of Levi’s fingers, each in turn, following along his callouses, licking over feathered hints of red gathered at his joints, Erwin returned Levi’s stare. It deepened, and darkened, thrumming in the air between them as Erwin sucked the end of Levi’s thumb noisily into his mouth, not even bothering to hide a groan. Levi’s full attention trained on him- its weight was palpable, its intensity exciting. Grey irises almost swallowed- by hungry black.

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Levi mused.

“Mmm?” Erwin hummed, shifting on the mattress.

“It might make me… hungry.”

“Then it’s a very good ide- a- AAaaaahhHHH-” There was no time to anticipate the pain. It snapped his words in two. Sharp, hard, the stinging pressure of Levi’s teeth breaking the skin made his pectoral muscle spasm. He gasped, reflexively trying to sit up, to push Levi off his chest, only to be forced back down. A hand on his shoulder, another gripping his bicep, shoved him into the mattress with monstrous force as Levi’s mouth closed. Warm. Hot. The harsh pain bled away, throbbing itself into a glow of pleasure lighting his veins. He moaned, squirming on the bed, Levi’s hands holding him fast- the resistance on his straining muscles deliciously strong. He couldn’t break Levi’s grip. He couldn’t sit up. He could only lift his head. That was all. But it was enough to watch. To see Levi, his dark hair wild and mussed, his pointed nose pressing next to Erwin’s nipple, flashes of red and white where they met blended by pink- blood and teeth and lips as he sucked and kissed at Erwin’s skin. Erwin pulled in a shuddering breath. He hadn’t seen it the night before. Levi- fierce, powerful, a creature of sharp instinct and need.

It made Erwin’s pulse race, his own animalistic urge responding to the sight. He lifted his hips, and finding nothing pushed his ass back to grind into the bed instead. When Levi’s mouth came off him, bright fangs licked clean, he groaned. He missed the feeling already. Levi’s small tongue flicked over his skin, tracing punctures, lapping blood from where it welled, as Erwin’s neck strained. “Levi- L-Levi-” he gasped, unable to even know what he was asking for. He wanted to be held down. He wanted to be bitten. Again and again and again, until every part of his body felt this way- electric, tingling. He tried to ask for it, but all he could croak out was something halfway between a gasp and a sob as Levi’s teeth grazed by his nipple.

“A—Ahh – Lee- uaaa-” Sharp edges caught on the raised bud. Erwin’s body tightened as Levi’s fangs snagged, lacing stings where they tore. “Lev- i- AhhHH!” he cried, back arching up to meet Levi’s mouth. It opened, Levi’s lips hiding his teeth, his tongue swiping over Erwin’s nipple instead. Licking the pricks of blood from it, tonguing them into smears over Erwin’s skin, he teased as Erwin groaned. The bites left him tender, aching, as Levi sucked bruising kisses into his skin. But they lit him with flashes of bliss, flickers of pleasure accompanying each nip and each scratch. The more he struggled, the more Levi held him down, the harder his cock ached.

Over his nipple, across his chest, Levi’s open mouth trailed kisses as hard as his bites. Forceful and vigorous, his mouth almost shocking wherever it touched, Erwin’s excitement pounded in his heartbeat. Levi rolled onto him, settling between his legs, the weight of his compact body pressing into Erwin’s abdomen and groin. He moved over Erwin’s body, following the sticky lines of drying cum, licking and kissing them from Erwin’s skin. His mouth was thorough, not a single drop missed, his tongue lathing over the ridges and grooves of muscle. His hands smoothed over Erwin’s skin, preparing the next area before pressing his lips to it, massaging it when his mouth left it. All the while Erwin shifted and sighed, seeking Levi’s touch and the intensity with which it burned. Levi’s hands kneaded his muscles. The heat of Levi’s mouth warmed his skin. Levi’s body pressed down, an irresistible weight against his hardness. Finally having something to rub up against when his hips rose, Erwin couldn’t help himself. He rutted shamelessly, the friction almost unbearably good against his untouched cock.

Levi’s grip loosened. His kisses grew less harsh. Sweeter, longer, they drew sighs from Erwin that had neither beginning nor end. Licking the traces of his pleasure from Erwin’s body, nosing into blond hair, leaving it mussed, matted by wet licks, the constant attention melted into Erwin’s bones. Levi’s fingers trailed down Erwin’s sides, the hard edge of nails skimming tingling lines across his torso, lifting his back from the mattress. But Levi’s kisses held him down. They stole the strength to resist from his muscles, the breath to protest from his lungs. Instead he groaned and sighed, Levi’s name slipping from his lips. All he could do was watch. And feel.

The press of lips, the flick of tongue- maddening as it moved over him. Each spot Levi’s mouth touched flickered to life. His skin heated under open kisses. His body grew pliant, tender, and still Levi’s caresses continued, until the bruises he sucked into Erwin’s skin bloomed- achingly sweet. Only when Erwin tried to jerk away, unable to take any more, loved to the very edge of his capacity- only then would Levi deign to move lower- closer- the tortuously slow pace an agony of pleasure. Levi made his way down Erwin’s chest, over his ribs, and lower still across his abdomen. Everywhere he licked the salt from Erwin’s skin- sweat and cum- leaving it clean, flushed, and newly marked. Everywhere leaving him wanting, sensitive, greedy for more- whatever Levi would give.

And he needed more. Levi’s kisses were incredible, but they weren’t enough. He’d not bitten- only teased- since sinking his fangs into Erwin’s chest. The pressure of teeth, the hardness and edge hinting their presence, he’d felt them both, but none of the pain. Levi was holding back. As wrecked as Erwin was- his muscles jumping, his cock throbbing, every kiss placed on his skin burning bliss on contact- he knew it was true. Dark eyes flashed up at him from under the messy fall of black bangs, their pupils blown wide, their lids low. Hot breaths puffed into his skin, the press of Levi’s nose, his chin, his cheek ever-present as he anointed every inch. Erwin watched him, anticipation coiling tight in his groin. Levi was holding back. But it wasn’t easy for him- and it was getting harder. His arousal was obvious, his control slipping. And it only excited Erwin more. He wanted it. He needed it. The strength of Levi’s hands- inhuman. The sharp edge to Levi’s kiss- breathtaking.

By the time Levi reached his hips, a reward for following the wide blond trail from Erwin’s navel, they were both near the limit of their resolve. Erwin, his skin glistening with sweat, his thighs trembling on either side of Levi’s head, fumbled to reach his lover, clumsy fingers clutching at the silk of Levi’s hair. The throaty growl in response made his breath catch. But Levi didn’t resist. Instead he let Erwin push his head down towards the flushed curve of his cock. Eagerly he mouthed at it, dragging a groan from deep in Erwin’s core. He ran his tongue up its length and over its head, returning to follow its ridge and suck the precum leaking down its shaft.

“Fuck, you’re messy,” Levi mumbled, tugging Erwin’s cock aside to kiss precum from Erwin’s abdomen where his erection had pressed and smeared it.

“So- were- you-” Erwin managed, his fingers clenching reflexively in Levi’s hair as Levi’s mouth found his cock again. Licking at its head, teasing where clear droplets gathered and wept from it, Levi sucked its tip into his mouth. Erwin gasped, his ass clenching as it rose from the bed. Levi pulled off quickly, fingers on Erwin’s thighs squeezing tight as he forced him back down. He looked up at Erwin.

“Hey. Careful,” he warned, lips pulling back to show the wicked tips of pointed teeth.

“Please. Levi. I’m _tired_ of being _careful_ ,” Erwin panted.

Levi paused, thin brows knitting. He gazed up at Erwin, considering him for a moment. His head dipped down. His mouth opened. Baring his fangs, he pressed his cheek to the side of Erwin’s cock. Titling his head experimentally, he dragged it upwards, the tips of fangs barely skimming Erwin’s length. Erwin shivered. Bright lines of thrill lit under Levi’s teeth, his cock twitching its response. Reaching the head, Levi paused, their eye contact unbroken as he let his fangs press lightly to taut skin. Twin points settled, standing out white against his flush, their edges keen where his skin dipped. A rumbling groan slipped from Erwin, and Levi’s heavy lids lowered over darkened eyes. “How long… does the potion last?” he whispered against Erwin’s trembling cock.

“Long enough.”

“Fuck,” he sighed, letting out a long breath, the tips of his fangs disappearing behind his lips as he sank down on Erwin’s cock. It slipped into his mouth, its tip disappearing as he sucked. Levi’s head bobbed. Erwin watched, breath stuck in his throat, as Levi struggled to keep his teeth out of the way. His lips wrapped over them, stretching as he pushed more of Erwin’s cock into his mouth, the wet warmth engulfing Erwin. The tight fit- tighter as Levi tried to take more and still keep his fangs sheathed by his lips, had Erwin fighting not to move. He wanted to pump his hips up, to thrust into Levi’s throat, its slick pressure already driving him mad. He wanted to grab Levi’s hair, to push him down onto his cock, to feel Levi’s mouth move on his length. But Levi’s fingers squeezing his thighs held him back, grounded him, reminded him who was in control.

Levi moved on him, his head lifting, the length of Erwin’s cock slick and shining where it slid from his mouth. So slow, achingly slow, he sucked and kissed it, moving up and down as Erwin watched. Taking more into his mouth, bit by bit, working it deeper as Erwin fought to stay still. Levi’s lips roved over him, damp and soft, his mouth pressed down, warm and close, and every so often Erwin caught a glimpse of teeth- their hard edges and pointed tips. It made him shiver, even just the thought. As Levi’s head pressed down, his thighs squeezed tight, as it pulled back off, his abdomen tensed. Levi gasped around his length, his lips tight, pulled white over where his fangs strained at them. Erwin inhaled, everything shaky. He couldn’t let his hips buck up. He couldn’t thrust. No matter how much he wanted to. No sudden movements. He had to stay still. Because Levi was being so careful- for him.

Tentatively, Erwin reached down. His hand eased behind Levi’s head, fingers brushing the prickle of his undercut as they threaded into dark hair. A low groan sounded in Levi’s throat. Erwin felt it in his cock. He pushed his head down further, trying to take even more, forcing himself until Erwin felt his throat closing. Levi tensed. He pulled off, gulping in a breath, wiping spit from his chin. His pale hand came away smeared bright with a blotch of red.

“Y-you’re bleeding?” Erwin murmured, his fingers stroking reassuring circles into Levi’s hair.

“Bit my lip. Stupid fangs get in the way,” Levi mumbled.

“Then let them.”

“What? Erwin. I-”

“Levi, please,” Erwin sighed, “I can’t watch this. It’s too- too- please-” His hips rose, unbidden. His cock swayed, heavy and hot and full. “Levi-” he moaned, fingers tugging Levi’s face toward his straining groin. “Please-”

With an exhale that broke like a wave, Levi’s small nose dipped down. It pressed to the shaft of his cock, pushing it against his body, fixing it against muscles that stuttered and shook. It dragged up his length, Levi’s tongue sweeping back and forth beneath it. It reached the ridge of his head and paused, heated puffs of air from Levi’s open mouth gathered and held close to his body by blond hair. Then, without warning, Levi’s lips pulled back. Erwin braced himself, his body thrumming, as Levi’s head pushed down between his legs.

The pain came quick- but not where he expected. The crook of his leg, where inner thigh met groin, stung points that burst as the muscle flexed. Bright and hot, the pain was brief, a spreading warmth and glow replacing it in seconds. His back arched. He gripped Levi’s hair tight, the tugging on his skin of Levi’s sucked bites and kisses not enough to assure him he wouldn’t let go. It felt too good. He needed it. His leg throbbed hot with pleasure. His cock ached with need. He turned his hips, pulled at dark hair, nudged Levi’s cheek with his length, hoping for attention. Levi looked up, eyes black, lips red. And Erwin moaned with his whole body.

Mercifully, Levi licked him, a flicker of pink tongue swishing over his leaking cockhead. Slowly, Levi turned, mouthing at Erwin’s shaft. When his head rose from Erwin’s lap, he hovered, mouth open, above Erwin’s cock for an excruciating moment. Then, he ducked down, sucking the head of Erwin’s cock in between his lips, fitting half of it into his mouth with ease. The rest he forced in, with a slick sound, lips stretching, as his fangs scratched lightly on Erwin’s skin. His head pushed down, pointed pressure marking its progress, closer to the root of his cock, until his nose pressed into blond curls and Erwin felt the tightness of Levi’s throat on him.

His hips tried to buck. Levi held him fast. Pulling back off, quick enough for only a breath, before bobbing back down. Fangs dragging against his length, adding their urgency. He could barely keep from crying out. Levi took him so deep. Swallowed every inch. Pushed his head down until it could go no further and paused, a strangled groan working his throat on Erwin’s cock. The faintest of pricks needled his skin, making him squirm, making Levi moan more, making the needles turn to thorns- before they vanished - Levi’s head lifting away. Before he could react, before the yearning could become action, Levi’s mouth found him again. A wet swipe licked over his thigh. A bright burst of pain multiplied as both fangs breached. His body jerked. Towards Levi, away from Levi, he didn’t know and it didn’t matter. The pain grew further away, unimportant in the face of the rising fever of pleasure that chased it from him.

Erwin choked out Levi’s name. Or something like it. Lifting his ass. Angling his hips. His cock bumped against Levi’s cheek- smearing where it leaked. Breathing heavy, Levi’s head turned. He stopped sucking at Erwin’s leg, lapping away final drips, black eyes training on the curve of Erwin’s cock. He grabbed at the base of it, steered it into his mouth. He guided it past his teeth, until he couldn’t, and they pressed, edges throbbing with Erwin’s wild pulse. Before he could pull away, Erwin’s hand found the back of Levi’s head. He urged him down, hips rising to meet him, not caring, only wanting. Pain was fleeting, the pleasure more than worth it. He wanted it now. Like only Levi could give.

And maybe it was his hand on Levi’s head. Or the pleas on his lips. Or maybe Levi was finally giving in. He wanted it just as badly. Whatever it was didn’t matter. All Erwin felt was Levi’s mouth. His lips. His tongue. His teeth. Wrapped around him, sucking him, licking him, moving up and down his shaft. Levi’s head bounced. Erwin’s muscles tensed. Dark bangs swished by, brushing his abdomen, rocked by the motion of Levi’s head. Thin, strong fingers squeezed, clutching the meat of his thighs. Slick warmth swiped over him, Levi’s tongue circling his head before he plunged back down. Drawing trails of thrill along Erwin’s length. Lighting his nerves electric. Driving his body wild.

Each time Levi’s head bowed he took all of Erwin, deep-throating him until he couldn’t breathe around his girth. Each time he rose, spit dribbled from the sides of his mouth, his thin lips rosy where they rubbed. Fangs left pale traces where they touched, until Levi’s mouth swallowed those up too. Erwin pulled him back down. He bucked up to meet him, desire turning him to instinct and need. Chasing the pleasure of Levi’s mouth. The sensations it brought mixed and blended into something addicting and new. Something that felt too good. Insanely good. In a way he’d never felt before. Overwhelming. Intense. It pushed him to the very edge, shaking, heaving, and wanting.

And when it pushed him over that edge Erwin fell hard. Levi sucked his cock into his mouth, pushing his head down fast and burying it between Erwin’s legs. Erwin moaned, gripping Levi’s neck as his back arched off the bed. Levi’s throat tightened, his lips squeezed, his teeth pressed- and Erwin came. The orgasm crashed through him, washing away his senses, replacing them with bliss. He could barely hold on as it swept over him in waves. His fingers clenched in time with his body, tugging Levi’s head down and holding it there as his cock pulsed. Levi swallowed on him as he came, a muffled groan sounding as Erwin’s hips pumped reflexively against his face. Taking every inch. Drinking every drop. Levi’s small gasps and rumbling moans might as well have been his own as they eased Erwin through his pleasure as its beat slowed and faded.

When the weight of Levi’s head rolled over to rest on his thigh, the length of his cock slipping from his mouth, Erwin grinned lazily down at his lover. Dark hair stood in a riot against his leg. Tired eyes, back to grey, barely opened. The over-sized sweater made Levi’s form curled in his lap look small and soft in a way at odds with the bruises and marks he’d littered over Erwin’s body. As he watched, Levi touched a hesitant finger to the head of his softening cock. It came away wet, glistening with what remained from the pleasant aftershocks of his release. Without pause, Levi brought the finger to his lips and licked it, pink tongue flickering over it- without even a hint of teeth.

“Does it taste as good as my blood?” Erwin joked warmly.

“Hmm?” Levi hummed. “Well…” he answered, fatigue’s drag slowing his words. “It tastes good, too.” Levi’s eyes closed. His cheek nuzzling gently into Erwin’s thigh as he got comfortable. He settled there, between Erwin’s legs, growing heavier, the gravity of exhaustion weighing him down. His breaths evened, then quieted, until they were little more than a mild draft against bare skin. Erwin thought he had already fallen asleep when he spoke again, his voice barely a rough murmur.

“It tastes like you.”


End file.
